Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora, a former BJP MP Ram Prasad Sarma and son of former union minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar were among the first list of 40 Congress candidates released by the party late on Saturday.
While Mr. Bora, a sitting Rajya Sabha member, will be contesting from the Gohpur constituency, Mr Sarma, who had joined the Congress after representing the Tezpur Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket, is the party candidate from Barchalla.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Debabrata Saikia has also been named from his constituency of Nazira while the Deputy CLP leader Rakibul Hussain will again contest from Samuguri.
Moran constituency in the tea belt of Upper Assam will have Pranjal Ghatowar, son of former Union minister for North East Region in the Manmohan Singh government.
Earlier on Friday, ahead of the expected announcement of the list of party candidates, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev expressed her resentment to party president Sonia Gandhi.
“I feel hurt because I have not been consulted in the process of selecting candidates and was not even invited to related meetings,” she said.
Ms. Dev is also said to be upset over the party’s decision to give the Sonai Assembly seat in the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley to the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The Congress and AIUDF are the major constituents of the eight-party mahajot or grand alliance.
The former MP was also miffed over the party’s decision not to field two candidates of her choice — Papon Deb and Hirak Das — in the Barkhola and Dhalai seats respectively, also in Barak Valley.
An All India Congress Committee leader said the party was trying to resolve the issue.
