The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has announced the formation of a Screening Committee for Assam with senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appointed as the Chairperson. The committee will play a key role in shortlisting candidates for the upcoming elections in the state.
Along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the committee includes Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Imran Masood and Dr. Sirivella Prasad as members. These leaders will work together to review proposed candidate names, hold discussions with state leaders and send their recommendations to the party high command.
Screening Committees are an important part of the Congress party’s candidate selection system. They help ensure that each candidate is assessed carefully before the final list is approved. 
The Assam committee announcement is seen as a key organisational move as the Congress prepares for the coming elections in the state.
Along with Assam, the AICC has also named Screening Committees for Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry and West Bengal.
For Kerala, the committee will be headed by Madhusudan Mistry, with Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, Neeraj Dangi and Abhishek Dutt as members.
In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the Screening Committee will be chaired by T.S. Singh Deo. The other members include Yashomati Thakur, G.C. Chandrashekhar and Anil Kumar Yadav.
For West Bengal, B.K. Hariprasad has been appointed Chairperson. The committee members are Dr. Mohammad Jawed, Mamta Devi and B.P. Singh.
In Assam, the Opposition Congress has announced that it plans to contest 100 out of 126 Assembly seats in the upcoming elections. The remaining seats will be left for alliance partners. However, the party has made it clear that it will not ally with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi made this announcement during an event in Tezpur held to mark the Congress party’s 141st foundation day. Gogoi, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the party will work with “like-minded parties” to challenge the ruling BJP.
He described the AIUDF as a “communal” party and ruled out any possibility of partnership with it. The AIUDF has earlier performed strongly in minority-dominated areas but has seen its support base weaken in recent years, including a complete defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Gogoi accused the BJP of creating unrest and division in Assam. He said the Congress wants to bring back peace and unity and promised that the party would restore dignity and rights of the people. He added that welfare benefits under Congress governments were always meant for everyone, unlike what he alleged under the present administration.
The Congress is currently in talks with parties such as Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI and CPI(M) for a joint opposition front. The party hopes that a wider alliance, without the AIUDF, will help consolidate votes against the BJP-led NDA in the 2026 elections.
Gogoi also said the party wants to rebuild an inclusive Assam inspired by cultural figures such as Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg. He said that strict action will be taken against anyone spreading hate or attacking places of worship, saying there is no place for communal violence in society.
