In Assam, with announcement of the poll schedules by the Election Commission, the political parties have geared up their activities to finalize the lists of the contesting candidates for 126 Assembly segments of the State. According to State Pradesh Congress Committee sources at Guwahati, the ruling Congress is likely to release the first list of candidates for the State polls by 12th of this month. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has released its first list of candidates for 22 constituencies of the State hours after the announcement of the poll schedule. The party has also announced a tentative list of another eight candidates to be fielded in the ensuing polls, subject to negotiations with other parties. The opposition Asom Gana Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party have already released their first list of candidates. The State is scheduled to go for polls in two phases on 4th and 11th of the next month.