NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Tuesday released its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, even before the poll schedule was officially announced, signalling an early start to its campaign in the poll-bound northeastern state.Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi has been fielded by the party from the high-profile Jorhat seat, while Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Assam, will contest from Nazira, according to the list released by AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal.Former Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora will contest from Barchalla, as the party aims to regain lost ground after being out of power in Assam since 2016.Other notable candidates include Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar from Gauripur, Markline Marak from Goalpara West (ST), and Girish Baruah from Bongaigaon. Mahananda Sarkar has been fielded from Barpeta (SC).Seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes feature prominently. Ramen Singh Rabha will contest Boko-Chaygaon (ST), Nandita Das will fight from Hajo-Sualkuchi (SC), and Satyabrat Kalita from Kamalpur.In urban and strategic constituencies, Mira Borthakur Goswami will contest Dispur, Diganta Barman from Barkhetri, and Ashok Kumar Sarma from Nalbari.The 126-member Assam Assembly is expected to go to polls in April.(With inputs from PTI)