Priyanka Gandhi named Chairperson of Assam Congress screening committee ahead of 2026 polls

The Congress on January 3 appointed senior leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the Chairperson of the Assam Congress screening committee, marking her first major organisational role since stepping down as AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh.
The screening committee will be responsible for shortlisting candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, a crucial exercise as the party looks to regain ground in the politically significant northeastern state.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) also announced the constitution of screening committees for other poll-bound states and Union Territories. Former Rajya Sabha member Madhusudan Mistry has been named chairperson of the Kerala screening committee, former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T. S. Singh Deo will head the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry committee, while senior leader B. K. Hariprasad has been appointed chairperson for West Bengal.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s appointment is being seen as a strategic move by the Congress, with Assam emerging as a key battleground in the Northeast. The party is aiming to sharpen its organisational focus and candidate selection process as it prepares to challenge the BJP-led NDA, which is seeking a third consecutive term in the state.
Assam will go to 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 poll schedule in the coming months, with elections 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 other opposition parties and regional forces such as the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra now at the helm of the screening process, the Congress is expected to place emphasis on candidate selection, social representation and organisational revival in the state.