Assam Elections: Congress takes big decision, hands key role to Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: With barely three months to go for the assembly elections in Assam, the Congress has appointed party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the chairperson of the screening committee for selection of candidates.

Apart from Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are also scheduled to hold assembly elections in 2026.

The Congress leadership also announced on Sunday that senior leader Madhusudan Mistry will lead the screening committee for the Kerala polls. Meanwhile, former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo will lead the scrutiny of candidate selection for the elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry while senior leader BK Hariprasad will head the committee for West Bengal.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by CM Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are expected to be the main contenders in West Bengal. The principal contenders in Tamil Nadu are the DMK and AIADMK.

Why is Assam important for the Congress?

Assam state is one of those set for high-stakes elections in 2026 — along with West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Congress is planning to contest the assembly elections in Assam in alliance with other opposition parties. The ruling BJP which has been in power in Assam since 2016.

Gaurav Gogoi, the son of the last Congress chief minister of the state, is being viewed as a strong contender. Gogoi is one of the most senior leaders in the Congress and has been holding the position of Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha since 2024, next to Rahul Gandhi.

Why is Priyanka Gandhi’s Assam role important?

Priyanka's nomination as chairperson of the Assam screening committee, the Congress has appointed a member of the Gandhi-Nehru family to the position for the first time.

In her newly-appointed capacity, Priyanka Gandhi will finalise candidate lists to contest the upcoming assembly election in Assam and will also be responsible for arranging alliances with smaller parties.

both Lok Sabha MPs Imran Masood and Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, who are believed to be close aides of Priyanka Gandhi, have been appointed to the Assam screening committee along with fellow MP Sirivella Prasad.