The Assam Congress on Sunday finalised its list of candidates for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election to be held next month. The party fielded as many as 12 rookies of the 13 seats it is contesting.

A Congress source said the party will fight the election jointly with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). Both the parties will jointly contest in 20 of 40 seats in the council.

AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam confirmed the Congress-AIUDF alliance and said the party may announce the list of candidates by Monday evening. “Yes, we are going to fight the election together,” Islam said.

Congress insiders said barring one, a sitting BTC member (Momenur Islam) who won on an AIUDF ticket but switched to the Congress, the remaining candidates are fresh faces.

They also said the party left four seats to the AIUDF as they did not want to divide the votes. Both the parties will launch their campaign after the Rajya Sabha polls anytime after scrutiny of Rajya Sabha candidates are over on Monday.

While the AIUDF has four seats in the BTC the Congress does not have any.

This will be the first AIUDF-Congress joint electoral fight after leaders of the parties on Friday announced their decision to forge alliance to fight next year’s Assembly elections.

Election to the BTC will be held on April 4. The BJP has announced that it will contest the council election alone but has not been announced the candidate list.

The Assam PCC had a meeting here on Sunday evening and finalised the names of its candidates. The meeting was presided over by Assam PCC president Ripun Bora.

The party named Momenur Islam for Guma constituency, Sajal Kumar Singha for Srirampur, Rukendra Nath Brahma for Baukhungri, in Kokrajhar district.

For Chirang district, Binod Brahma has been named for Kajalgaon and Arun Narzary for Sobhaijhar, for Baksa district, Biswajit Basumatary has been named for Salbari, Hiteswar Rabha for Dihira, Jesmina Begum for Nagrijuli and Ramesh Boro for Goreswar.

Similarly, in Udalguri, Naba Jyoti Kurmi has been named for Pasnoi Serfang, Premananda Brahma for Rowta and Pradip Kumar Daimary for Bhairabkunda. The party is yet to announce the candidate for the Nonoi Serfang constituency.

While Dispur has ordered closure of all educational institutions, cinema halls, gyms and swimming pools in view of coronavirus pandemic, the Assam State Election Commission is yet to take a call on the BTC election.

Asked about steps being taken regarding mass gathering in election campaigns, Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna on Sunday said they will assess the situation.