Priyanka Gandhi to lead Congress screening in Assam; Party targets CM over ‘moral authority’ ahead of polls

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Screening Committee and MP from Wayanad, will arrive in Assam on February 19 for a two-day visit ahead of the Assembly elections.

According to party leaders, she will offer prayers at the Kamakhya Temple before heading to Rajiv Bhawan, the State Congress headquarters, where she is scheduled to participate in screening-related meetings from 11 a.m. till late at night.

The visit was announced at a press conference by AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi.

Mr. Singh said the Screening Committee, led by Ms. Gandhi, would hold meetings with Block Congress leaders, frontal organisations and party workers as part of the candidate selection process. He described it as the first time such a structured screening mechanism was being implemented in the State and added that Ms. Gandhi would visit Assam multiple times until the elections conclude to understand public sentiment.

Mr. Gogoi said the party was working 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 asserted that Congress was ahead in its election preparations and confirmed that alliances with like-minded Opposition parties were on the cards. He alleged that parties aligning with the BJP tend to weaken over time.

Taking aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mr. Gogoi accused him of losing the moral authority to comment on “Hindu leadership” and questioned his stance in light of allegations relating to land and cattle syndicates. He also referred to recent political developments involving senior leaders and claimed that attempts were being made to divert attention from issues such as the alleged 12,000 bighas of land linked to the Chief Minister’s family.

Mr. Gogoi maintained that the upcoming election would be a contest between what he termed the “New Congress” and “Fake Congressmen,” alleging that leaders who were part of past regimes and later joined the BJP had reshaped the ruling party’s character.

Among those present at the press conference were Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, MP Rakibul Hussain, former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora, AICC in-charge Vikas Upadhyay, Manoj Chauhan and Prithiraj Sathe.