Guwahati, March 4: The Raijor Dal on March 4 unveiled its first list of 11 candidates for the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, a day after the Indian National Congress released its initial slate of nominees. The announcement, issued from the party’s headquarters in Mathgharia, Guwahati, was formally signed by party president Akhil Gogoi.
Notably absent from the list is Sivasagar, the constituency currently represented by Gogoi himself. The omission has drawn attention, particularly as Sivasagar has been central to ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the opposition camp. According to the party’s official notification (Ref No: RD/ADMIN/AAE/L/1, dated 04-03-2026), the election committee has approved candidates for 11 constituencies.
Abdur Rashid Mandal will contest from East Goalpara, Romen Chandra Borthakur from Jalukbari, Anjan Talukdar from Manas, Ajijur Rahman from Dalgaon, and Mehboob Mukhtar from Dhing. Alok Nath has been fielded in Tezpur, Dulal Chandra Barua in Sisiborgaon, Rahul Chetry in Margherita, Lakhyajyoti Gogoi in Digboi, Dr Gyanashree Bora in Mariani, and Ratan Dao in Bokakhat.
The timing and selection of constituencies are significant. Seats such as East Goalpara, Dhing, Margherita and Mariani have been central to alliance discussions with the Congress. By naming candidates in these segments, Raijor Dal has signalled its readiness to proceed with its electoral strategy even as negotiations over seat-sharing remain unsettled.
The Congress, for its part, released its first list of 42 candidates on March 3, setting the stage for an intense electoral contest. Among the key nominees is Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, who will contest from Jorhat. Former state party chief Ripun Bora has been nominated from Barchalla, while Debabrata Saikia will seek re-election from Nazira.
The Congress list also includes candidates in several reserved constituencies, including Majuli, Bokajan, Rongkhang, Boko-Chaygaon and Jonai in Scheduled Tribe segments, as well as Barpeta, Hajo-Sualkuchi, Jagiroad, Raha and Ramkrishna Nagar in Scheduled Caste seats, reflecting its outreach across diverse social groups.
With both parties moving swiftly to announce candidates, the unfolding developments underscore growing strains within the opposition bloc and raise fresh questions about the prospects of a cohesive alliance ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
