Guwahati, March 17 The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the main opposition party, announced its second list of 12 candidates for the Assam Assembly elections on Tuesday, naming party president and former MP Badruddin Ajmal, along with three sitting MLAs.
With this, the party has announced its nominees for 21 constituencies, following the release of the first list for nine seats on March 9.
The elections for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9, with votes to be counted on May 4.
The second list includes three sitting MLAs: Hafiz Bashir Ahmed (Goalpara East), Nazrul Hoque (Dhubri), and Ashraful Hussain (Chenga).
Ajmal, who is also a former MLA, will be contesting from the Binnakandi constituency.
Other candidates named in the second list include Mazibur Rahman (Dalgaon), Abdul Aziz (Samaguri), Musukha Basumatary (Bijni), Mukut Das (Raha), and Anup Krishna Das Talukdar (Ram Krishna Nagar).
The AIUDF retained three of its incumbent MLAs in the first list: Aminul Islam (senior), Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, and Nizanur Rahman from Rupahihat, Mandia, and Gauripur constituencies, respectively.
The AIUDF is not part of any opposition alliance, although it had attempted to join the Congress-led bloc.
Ajmal had earlier stated that the party would contest in 25-30 seats in the upcoming elections.
In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling BJP has 64 members, while its allies AGP has 9, UPPL has 7, and BPF has 3.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 members, the AIUDF has 15 members, and the CPI(M) has 1 MLA. There is also one Independent legislator.