Guwahati, March 21: The Congress has fielded 37 new candidates and three old ones for the 40-seat Bodoland Territorial Council elections to be held on April 8 after daylong discussions at the party headquarters here today.

The names of all the candidates were released this evening by Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta who was closeted with several ministers and senior leaders finalising the list. Ticket aspirants and their supporters thronged Rajiv Bhawan since morning to lobby for their respective candidature.

The BTC polls will be Dutta's second after taking over charge. They will be as important as the recently-held urban body polls as the outcome will reflect how much ground the party has gained or lost after last year's split with long-time ally Bodoland People's Front which has been ruling the BTC since 2004.

The final list saw the party retain three of its council members - Chrisostum Tudu, Khalilur Rahman and Afjal Haque Sarkar - while dropping Jitu Kisan. Also missing from the list is Supriya Rani Brahma, widow of leading Bodo leader Prem Singh Brahma. Three of those who joined the party on March 13 - Subhas Chandra Sarkar, Ranjan Daimary and Purna Kanta Daimary - got part tickets. Former MLA Chandi Basumatary was given a ticket.

Dutta said the party, by declaring its list at one go, has shown the seriousness with which it is contesting the polls and is hopeful of doing well.

Though the apparent enthusiasm and preparation with which the Congress has approached the polls this time was missing last time, the party will still find the going tough as it is in a "rebuilding phase", party insiders said.