Priyanka Gandhi to begin two-day Assam visit; screening meetings on agenda

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chairperson of the Congress Screening Committee and MP from Wayanad, will arrive in Assam on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at accelerating the party’s preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Party leaders said Priyanka will begin her visit with prayers at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, a customary political and cultural stop for national leaders visiting the state. She will then proceed to Rajiv Bhawan, headquarters of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), where she is scheduled to participate in a series of screening-related meetings beginning at 11 am. Discussions are expected to continue late into the evening, reflecting the party’s push to fast-track candidate selection.

The visit was formally announced at a joint press conference by AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh and APCC president Gaurav Gogoi. Singh said the Screening Committee, under Priyanka’s leadership, would interact extensively with Block Congress leaders, representatives of frontal organisations and grassroots workers across districts. The consultations are intended to assess local feedback, evaluate potential candidates and ensure organisational cohesion ahead of the polls.

Describing the process as unprecedented in the state, Singh said this would be the first time the party is conducting such a structured and consultative screening exercise in Assam. He added that Priyanka is likely to visit the state multiple times in the run-up to the elections to review progress, gauge public sentiment and strengthen coordination between the state unit and the central leadership.

Gogoi said the party aims to complete the screening process at the earliest and indicated that the first phase of the Congress candidates’ list could be released by the end of February after consultations with the central leadership. He maintained that the Congress is ahead of other parties in terms of organisational preparedness and candidate identification.

The APCC chief also confirmed that discussions were underway with like-minded Opposition parties regarding possible alliances, signalling that seat-sharing talks may gather pace once the initial list of candidates is finalised.

Targeting chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi accused him of losing the moral authority to comment on issues of “Hindu leadership” and questioned his position in light of allegations related to land and cattle syndicates. Referring to recent political developments involving senior leaders, Gogoi alleged that attempts were being made to divert public attention from issues such as the alleged 12,000 bighas of land linked to the Chief Minister’s family.

The Congress leadership’s renewed focus on Assam underscores its attempt to consolidate organisational strength and sharpen its electoral strategy as the state heads toward a high-stakes Assembly contest.

With IANS inputs