NEW DELHI, March 14, 2026: The political landscape in Assam is heating up as the Indian National Congress has officially released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections 2026. This much-anticipated release, announced by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on March 14, 2026, details the nominees for 23 crucial constituencies across the state. This brings the party’s total declared candidates to 65, following an earlier release of 42 names.
The party is also strategically managing its alliances, leaving a total of 15 seats for its alliance partners to contest. The stage is set for a formidable contest, but not without inner-party friction, particularly surrounding the Srijangram seat.
A Closer Look at the 23-Candidate List
The second list features several significant names and confirms a pattern of providing tickets to the next generation of party leaders. For the New Guwahati constituency, the party has nominated Santanu Borah, the son of former MP and senior party leader Pankaj Borah. This legacy choice aligns with the pattern seen in the first list, where other children of leaders were given tickets, sparking debate over internal party democracy.
Other key nominations in this round include:
- Wazed Ali Choudhury for Birsing Jarua
- Abdul Khaleque for Mandia
- Dr Sankar Jyoti Kutum for Gohpur
- Dhrubjyoti Purkayastha for Dholai (SC)
- Kishore Kumar Brahma for Dudhnai (ST)
The full list of 23 candidates from this second announcement is detailed in the table below, sourced directly from the official AICC press release page [Image 1: Congress candidate list].
Srijangram Ticket Sale Allegations and Inner-Party Revolt
The list’s most controversial entry is the nomination of Nurul Islam for the Srijangram seat. The decision has ignited a fiery internal revolt, with a faction of local Congress workers levelling serious allegations of corruption. These workers have publicly accused Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, the party’s general secretary in charge of Assam, of accepting money to secure the ticket for Nurul Islam.
In a direct appeal, the disgruntled local leaders have written a formal letter to high-ranking Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, urging her intervention to review the decision. This inner-party conflict in a key constituency is a significant challenge for the party as it gears up for a unified electoral campaign.
Strategic Alliances and Seats Left for Partners
Mindful of the need for a strong united front, Congress has also detailed the seats it is leaving for its alliance partners, totaling 15 seats. The first page of the press release (Image 1) lists seven of these specific seats, which are:
- Bhowanipur – Sorbhog (Seat #21)
- Bajali (Seat #26)
- Palasbari (Seat #29)
- Guwahati Central (Seat #36)
- Goreswar (Seat #44)
- Morigaon (Seat #54)
- Barhampur (Seat #59)
A complete list of the 15 alliance seats will be revealed in subsequent documents.
Broader Context: Five-State Election Date Announcement Looming
The timing of this list is crucial, as the final dates for the multi-state assembly elections are imminent. An Election Commission of India (ECI) team, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, has recently concluded its comprehensive review visits to all five poll-bound states. This tour began in Assam and concluded with West Bengal.
Sources within the ECI confirm that with the preparations finalized and all state visits complete, the final announcement of the Assam assembly election dates and those for the other four states is expected to be made on either Sunday or Monday, March 15th or 16th, 2026. This announcement will sound the final bugle for what is expected to be a high-octane and pivotal political battle.
Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth analysis of the candidates and constituencies in the lead-up to the Assam Assembly Elections 2026.
