74 Cong aspirants for 14 Assam LS seats

■ Nine of the 14 Lok Sabha seats currently held by BJP

◗ ASSAM CONGRESS president Bhupen Borah told reporters that they had decided to extend the last date of submission of forms by three days from December 19 to 22

Seventy-four Congress leaders including two sitting MPs have applied for tickets to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on party ticket in Assam. The two MPs — Abdul Khaleque and Pradyut Bordoloi — representing the Nagaon and Barpeta parliamentary constituencies have applied for the ticket, but the former did not specify the constituency applied for.

Mr Gaurav Gogoi, the third MP representing the Kaliabor, could not apply due to the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, party sources said.

The deadline for accepting applications for the tickets of 2024 Lok Sabha elections ended on Tuesday.

The highest 11 applications were received for western Assam’s Dhubri constituency, followed by southern Assam's Karimganj (10). Western Assam's Kokrajhar and centraleastern Assam's Kaziranga each received two applications.

Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah told reporters that they had decided to extend the last date of submission of forms by three days from December 19 to December 22, given the enthusiastic response from aspirants.

It is significant that nine of Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha seats are currently held by the BJP. Three constituencies are represented by the Congress, one by the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and one by an independent candidate.

The Congress collected a fee of `one lakh from each applicant. The money would be refunded only to the applicants of the constituencies the party decides not to contest from, as part of a possible seat-sharing arrangement with other constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Assam Congress is also among 15 parties in the alliance called the United Opposition Forum. Other major members of the United Opposition Forum are Assam Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal headed by former activist Akhil Gogoi, CPM, CPI, Jatiya Dal-Asom, NCP, RJD, Janata Dal (U), TMC, CPI(ML), and AAP.