Guwahati: The Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Thursday evening released its second list of candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
AJP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan has been fielded from the 81 Sadiya assembly constituency, while academic administrator Kunki Chowdhury, who has recently joined the party, will contest from the 36 Guwahati Central constituency.
Bhuyan is a former student leader who rose to prominence through the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and has served as a Cabinet Minister in the Assam government.
He began his political career with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and served two terms as the MLA for Sadiya (1996–2006). He served as the Minister of Tourism in the Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led government (1998–2001).
In 2015, he joined the BJP and served as the Chairman of Assam Petro-chemicals Limited until 2019. He resigned from the BJP and all government posts in December 2019 to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). He subsequently co-founded the AJP with Lurinjyoti Gogoi to champion regional interests.
Kunki Chowdhury, based in Guwahati, is known for her involvement in academic administration. Educated at NMIMS (Mumbai) and UCL (London), she is associated with the Shrimanta Shankar Academy (SSA) Society and holds multiple roles in its affiliated institutions, including Girijananda Chowdhury University (GCU).
At GCU, she serves as a member of the Governing Body and is also part of the Board of Management. In addition, she represents the SSA Society in the university’s Academic Council, contributing to academic and administrative decision-making.
Following the announcement of her candidature, Kunki Chowdhury expressed gratitude to the AJP leadership.
She said, “I express my sincere thanks and deep gratitude to the president of Asom Jatiya Parishad, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, and all office-bearers for placing their trust and confidence in me. I remain fully committed to working for the development and welfare of the people of the Guwahati Central constituency.”
The AJP, which is part of a Congress-led alliance in the state, is aiming to strengthen its presence in key urban constituencies, with Central Guwahati seen as a crucial seat.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the party had released its first list of nominees during a press conference at the Greenwood Resort in Khanapara.
Eight constituencies were covered in the initial announcement: Lurinjyoti Gogoi from Khowang, Rajen Gohain from Barhampur, Bani Kanta Das from Morigaon, Pankaj Lochan Goswami from Palashbari, Dilip Barua from Bajali, Jiban Chutia from Sarupathar, Mainak Patra from Dibrugarh, and Alhaaj Rezaul Karim Chaudhury from Binnakandi.
The announcement is part of AJP’s preparations for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections as the party works to strengthen its presence in key constituencies.