Overview
- Bhupesh Baghel, D.K. Shivakumar and Bandhu Tirkey were named senior observers for Assam, with teams also set for Kerala (Sachin Pilot, K.J. George, Imran Pratapgarhi, Kanhaiya Kumar), Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Mukul Wasnik, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin) and West Bengal (Sudip Roy Barman, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Prakash Joshi).
- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed chair of the screening committee for Assam, positioning her to oversee candidate selection.
- Party leaders said observers have been told to begin consultations immediately with state units and file periodic reports to the AICC.
- D.K. Shivakumar said he had “no option” but to accept the Assam role, a move widely read as putting his Karnataka chief ministerial ambitions on hold for now.
- Elections in Assam’s 126 seats are expected in March–April, with Congress contesting as part of a new alliance with CPI(M), Raijor Dal, AJP, CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, JDA and APHLC.