The Congress on Saturday declared its first list of candidates for the Meghalaya Assembly elections on February 27. The party announced candidates for 57 of the 60 seats in the state, IANS reported.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma will contest the election from two constituencies – Amphati and Songsak. The list includes state Congress President Celestine Lyngdoh and Lok Sabha MP Vincent Pala.

The Congress will also field former Nationalist Congress Party legislator Marathon Sangma and independent MLA Brigady N Marak, who had resigned from the Meghalaya Assembly on January 23 and joined the party.

The Congress’ screening committee for Meghalaya finished the names in New Delhi on Saturday. However, it could not decide upon a candidate for three Assembly seats – Pynthorumkhrah, South Shillong and Khliehriat.

Congress MLA Alexander Hek, who is expected to contest on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, had won from the Pynthorumkhrah in the previous Assembly polls. “Since there are more applicants in these three Assembly seats, we have decided to keep it pending and will finalise the candidates within a week’s time,” Pala told IANS.

Lyngdoh said the Congress was targeting 30 seats in the Assembly, and “might just win 31” on result day, which is March