In a strategic move ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Congress party has announced the formation of screening committees to shortlist candidates for Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. A significant highlight of this announcement is the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, as the chairperson of the screening committee for Assam. This marks her first major organizational assignment since stepping down as AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh and signals a potential resurgence of her role within the party.
The Assam screening committee, under Priyanka Gandhi's leadership, includes Lok Sabha MP Saptagiri Ulaka and Rajya Sabha MP Imran Masood. This panel will be responsible for shortlisting potential candidates for the Assam Assembly elections, a crucial task as the Congress seeks to regain political ground in the state. The party aims to make a comeback in Assam, where it lost power to the BJP in 2016 after an uninterrupted 15-year rule since 2001. In an effort to strengthen its Assam unit, the Congress appointed Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, as the State party president last year.
In addition to Assam, the Congress has also constituted screening committees for other poll-bound states. Madhusudan Mistry will head the screening committee for Kerala, with members including Rajya Sabha MP Naseer Hussain, Neeraj Dangi, and Abhishek Dutt. The screening committee for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will be led by T.S. Singh Deo, with Yashomati Thakur, Anil Kumar Yadav, and G.C. Chandrashekhar as members. B.K. Hariprasad will head the committee for West Bengal, with Mohammad Jawed, B.P. Singh, and Mamta Devi as panel members.
The General Secretaries/ In-charges, PCC Presidents, CLP Leaders, and AICC Secretaries attached to the General Secretaries/ In-charges will be ex-officio members of the Screening Committees of their respective states. The screening committees will work in consultation with the respective Pradesh Congress Committees to shortlist candidates. The names will then be presented to the Congress Central Election Committee for final approval.
The Assam Assembly elections, likely to be held in March-April, will see the Congress contesting as part of a multi-party opposition alliance. This alliance includes the Congress, CPI(M), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Jatiya Dal-Asom (JDA), and Karbi Anglong-based All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC). Currently, the BJP holds a majority in the 126-member Assam Assembly with 64 seats, while its allies AGP, UPPL, and BPF have nine, seven, and three members respectively. The Congress has 26 members, AIUDF has 15, and CPI(M) has one in the opposition camp. There is also one Independent legislator.
These strategic moves by the Congress party, particularly the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to lead the Assam screening committee, indicate the party's intent to strengthen its campaign and aim for electoral wins in the upcoming 2026 Legislative Elections.
