Trinamool Congress makes aggressive Assam foray, unveils first list of 17 candidates

Dispur, March 21: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has announced its first list of 17 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, signalling the party’s intent to expand its footprint in the state’s political landscape. The list was released under the guidance of party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, with nominees spread across Lower Assam, North Bank, Upper Assam and Barak Valley regions. In Lower Assam, the party has fielded Udangsri Narzary from Baokhungri, Mominur Islam from Bilasipara, Arif Akhtar Ahmed from Jaleswar and Kaushik Ranjan Das from Abhayapuri.  Kalyani Kalita has been nominated from Bajali, while Dulu Ahmed will contest from Chamaria and Bhoglal Rabha from the ST-reserved Boko-Chaygaon seat. Bikash Nath Yogi has been named for Palasbari, Amirul Islam for Barkhetri and Rajan Chouhan for Goreswar, indicating a broad social and regional representation strategy.

From the North Bank and eastern Assam, Hare Krishna Deka has been fielded in Mangaldai and Narendra Kumar Paw from the ST-reserved Dhemaji constituency. In Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district, the party has nominated Jiten Nag from Digboi and Dilip Moran from Makum. In Barak Valley, the AITC has announced Tapas Das from Udharbond, Fazlur Rahman Laskar from Katigorah and Shahajahan Laskar from Sonai, marking its attempt to consolidate a base in the Bengali-speaking belt.

Party leaders expressed confidence that the candidates would present a credible alternative to the established players in Assam politics, emphasizing grassroots connect and local issues. The announcement is part of AITC’s broader strategy to position itself as a viable force in the 2026 elections, with more names expected in subsequent lists as alliances and seat-sharing arrangements evolve.