‘We will benefit a lot’: Assam Congress sees Priyanka Gandhi’s visit as boost before elections

Assam Congress leaders, on February 19, projected Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s two-day visit as a major organisational push ahead of the Assembly elections, with APCC Working President Jakir Hussain Sikdar launching a sharp attack on the BJP-led state government.

 

Sikdar said the party would “benefit a lot” from the visit and claimed public dissatisfaction with the government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was growing. He said the people of Assam are not happy with the state government, alleging that corruption has led to widespread dissatisfaction across the state.

 

Calling the visit significant for party workers, he said, “It is a matter of happiness for us that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is coming to Assam for two days.” He added that Congress leaders and workers were “very enthusiastically waiting to welcome her” and asserted that her presence would energise the cadre. “All Assam Congress party workers will get strength after Priyanka comes,” he said.

 

Sikdar further claimed that the BJP would not return to power. “Himanta is a failure. His government failed. But this time BJP will not form government; Congress will,” he said.

 

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who serves as Chairperson of the party’s Screening Committee and is the MP from Wayanad, is scheduled to begin her visit with prayers at Maa Kamakhya Temple before heading to Rajiv Bhawan for screening-related meetings from 11 am until late night.

 

Senior Congress leader Jitendra Singh said the Screening Committee would meet Block Congress leaders, frontal organisations and party workers through the day. He described the process as the first structured screening mechanism introduced in Assam for candidate selection and indicated that Gandhi would return to the state multiple times before the elections to gauge public sentiment.

 

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said efforts were being made to expedite the screening exercise. After discussions with the central leadership, the first phase of the Congress candidates’ list is likely to be released by the end of February, he said, adding that the central leadership is ready to finalise names once the state-level process concludes.

 

Gogoi also indicated that alliances with like-minded opposition parties were certain. He claimed parties aligning with Congress tend to grow stronger, while those aligning with the BJP weaken, citing the examples of Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal.