New Delhi, Dec 04 : The Congress on January 3 appointed senior party leader and Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Chairperson of the Assam Congress screening committee, marking her first major organisational responsibility since she stepped down as AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh.
The screening committee will play a crucial role in shortlisting candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, as the party looks to strengthen its organisational presence and regain political ground in the strategically important northeastern state.
Alongside Assam, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) also announced the formation of screening committees for other poll-bound states and Union Territories. Former Rajya Sabha member Madhusudan Mistry has been appointed chairperson of the Kerala screening committee, while former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T. S. Singh Deo will head the committees for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Senior leader B. K. Hariprasad has been named chairperson of the West Bengal screening committee.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s appointment is widely seen as a strategic move by the Congress, with Assam emerging as a key battleground ahead of the 2026 elections. The party is seeking to sharpen its candidate selection process and organisational strategy to take on the BJP-led NDA, which is aiming for a third consecutive term in the state.
Assam is scheduled to go to the polls in 2026 to elect all 126 members of the Legislative Assembly, with the current Assembly’s term ending on May 20, 2026. The Election Commission of India is expected to announce the election schedule in the coming months, with polling likely to be held around March–April 2026, possibly in multiple phases.
The main contest in Assam is expected to be between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Congress, along with regional forces such as the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and other opposition parties. With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra now leading the screening process, the Congress is expected to place greater emphasis on candidate selection, social representation, and organisational revival in the state.