The Congress has started preparations for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections by appointing senior leaders to closely oversee the party’s campaign and organisational strategy in the state.
The party on January 7 appointed D K Shivakumar, Bhupesh Baghel and Bandhu Tirkey as observers for Assam, signalling a tighter grip on ground-level coordination as elections to the 126-member Assembly are expected in March–April.
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Congress tightens grip ahead of Assam polls
The decision was announced by K C Venugopal, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation), while releasing the list of observer teams for Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The appointments underline the Congress leadership’s intent to strengthen monitoring of the campaign, alliance management and candidate selection in Assam.
The move comes soon after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed chairperson of the Congress screening committee for the Assam elections, highlighting her central role in shaping the party’s strategy in the state.
Shivakumar, Baghel and Tirkey are considered close to Vadra and are expected to play an important role in coordinating with alliance partners and overseeing organisational work.
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Assam is all set to witness a closely fought election amid a crowded alliance landscape. Last month, the Congress announced a pre-poll alliance with CPI(M), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Jatiya Dal-Asom and the Karbi Anglong-based All Party Hill Leaders Conference. The alliance has been stitched together to jointly take on the ruling BJP-led coalition.
Currently, the BJP holds 64 seats in the Assembly. Its allies include the Asom Gana Parishad with nine seats, the United People’s Party Liberal with seven, and the Bodoland People’s Front with three. On the opposition side, the Congress has 26 MLAs, while the AIUDF has 15. The CPI(M) has one legislator, and there is one Independent member.
With senior observers now deployed, the Congress is signalling a more hands-on approach in Assam as it looks to translate opposition unity into electoral gains in the upcoming polls.
