Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will arrive in Assam today for a two-day visit as the party begins the crucial process of selecting candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. She is the Chairperson of the Congress Screening Committee and a Member of Parliament from Wayanad. According to party leaders, she will begin her visit by offering prayers at the Kamakhya Temple. She will then proceed to Rajiv Bhawan, the State Congress headquarters in Guwahati. Screening-related meetings are scheduled from 11 a.m. and are expected to continue till late in the evening. The visit was formally 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 that the Screening Committee, under the leadership of Ms. Gandhi, would hold meetings with Block Congress leaders, frontal organisations and party workers. These meetings are part of the candidate selection process for the Assembly polls. He said this was the first time that such a structured and systematic screening mechanism was being implemented in Assam.
He also stated that Ms. Gandhi is expected to visit Assam several times before the elections conclude. “She wants to understand the ground situation and public sentiment directly,” he said. Mr. Gogoi said the party aims to complete the screening process at the earliest. He 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 claimed that the Congress was ahead in its election preparations. He also confirmed that discussions were ongoing regarding alliances with like-minded Opposition parties. Without naming specific parties, he alleged that political groups aligning with the BJP often weaken over time. Taking aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mr. Gogoi accused him of losing the “moral authority” to speak on what he described as Hindu leadership. He questioned the Chief Minister’s position in light of allegations relating to land and cattle syndicates.
Mr. Gogoi also referred to recent political developments involving senior leaders in the State. He alleged that attempts were being made to divert public attention from issues such as the alleged 12,000 bighas of land linked to the Chief Minister’s family. He maintained that the upcoming Assembly election would be a contest between what he called the “New Congress” and “Fake Congressmen.” According to him, several leaders who were once part of earlier Congress governments later joined the BJP and have influenced the ruling party’s character. The press conference was attended by 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.