Political Row: BJP Releases First List of 88 Candidates, CM Himanta to Contest from Jalukbari

In a major political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party has released its first list of 88 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will once again contest from the Jalukbari constituency, a seat he has been winning since 2001. He previously won three times on a Congress ticket before continuing his victory streak with BJP since 2016. Another key highlight is the nomination of Pradyut Bordoloi, who recently joined BJP from Congress and has been fielded from Dispur, fulfilling earlier political assurances. While BJP was earlier expected to contest 89 seats, the announcement of 88 candidates suggests that one or more seats may be left for alliance partners. Reports indicate that remaining seats could be allocated to allied parties. Initial inputs also suggest that around a dozen sitting MLAs might be dropped, although detailed analysis of the list is still awaited. Voting in Assam will take place in a single phase on April 9.