The All India Congress Committee has appointed Priyanka Gandhi as chairperson of the Assam Congress screening committee as the party mobilises for the upcoming state assembly elections in 2026. The move is part of a wider effort by Congress to strengthen its organisational strategy in several poll-bound states.
Priyanka Gandhi Assam screening committee
The committee for Assam will include Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Imran Masood and Dr Sirivella Prasad as members, the AICC announced on Saturday. The panel is charged with shortlisting potential candidates and shaping the party’s campaign approach in a state where electoral margins can be narrow and local issues decisive.
Alongside the Assam appointment, the party named Congress veteran Madhusudan Mistry as chairperson for Kerala. T.S. Singh Deo will lead the screening committee for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, while B.K. Hariprasad will chair the West Bengal panel. The decisions reflect Congress’s effort to deploy senior leaders and organisers to states seen as strategically important ahead of the 2026 legislative contests.
Assam is currently governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Congress statements and committee appointments indicate an intensified challenge to the incumbent administration, with the opposition emphasising alternative policy priorities and candidate selection.
Speaking in Tinsukia, Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi criticised the state government for relying on targeted welfare payments rather than pursuing broader economic measures to make communities self-reliant. He highlighted a recent decision to provide a modest cash payment to temple attendants and said that more substantial steps are needed to make sattras economically sustainable.
Gogoi argued that welfare schemes similar to those run elsewhere in India are not new and that Assam requires programmes that promote lasting economic empowerment. He pointed to previous Congress administrations that he said placed emphasis on schemes intended to boost livelihoods and that some sattras continue to benefit from that support.
At the same press conference Gogoi said that, if returned to power, the Congress would examine ways to strengthen women’s economic participation and design fresh measures aimed at addressing everyday challenges faced by ordinary people. He described the upcoming election as one in which voters will assess whether current policies deliver real, sustainable development.
The party’s screening committees will now begin their work of evaluating local leaders and prospective candidates. Observers say these panels can play a key role in shaping electoral narratives, as they determine ticket distribution and the priorities around which campaigns are run.
With state-level contests on the horizon, Congress appears to be consolidating its resources and leadership to present a coordinated challenge in Assam and other states where it seeks to regain ground. How effective these appointments prove will be tested as candidate lists emerge and campaigning intensifies in the months ahead.
Key Takeaways:
- Priyanka Gandhi appointed chair of the Assam Congress screening committee ahead of the 2026 state elections.
- Committee includes Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Imran Masood and Dr Sirivella Prasad.
- Congress also announced state screening chairs for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal to bolster poll preparations.
- Assam Congress accuses the BJP government of prioritising welfare giveaways over long-term economic empowerment.
