Priyanka Gandhi Vadra To Head Assam Congress Screening Panel
Hyderabad: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed as the chairperson of the screening committee for the selection of candidates for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections. The decision was announced through a party notification issued late Saturday night.
The All India Congress Committee general secretary organisation K C Venugopal announced the formation of screening committees for five states and Union territories that are scheduled to go to polls in the first half of the year. According to the statement, four member screening committees have been constituted for Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to finalise candidate lists.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leads Assam Congress screening committee
As per the notification, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is also an AICC general secretary and a parliamentarian, will head the committee for Assam. The Congress is preparing to contest the Assam Assembly elections as part of an alliance with other opposition parties. Therefore, the screening process is seen as a key organisational step ahead of the polls.
Her close aides Imran Masood and Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, both Lok Sabha members, have been named as committee members. Sirivella Prasad has also been included as a member of the Assam screening committee. The party said the panel will oversee the selection of candidates for the state elections.
The elections to the 126 member Assam Assembly are likely to be held in March April this year. Meanwhile, opposition parties have already begun coordination efforts. Last month, the Congress joined hands with CPI M, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI ML Liberation, Jatiya Dal Asom and the Karbi Anglong based All Party Hill Leaders Conference. These parties decided to fight the elections from a common platform.
At present, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party holds 64 seats in the Assam Assembly. Its allies include the Asom Gana Parishad with nine MLAs, the United People’s Party Liberal with seven members, and the Bodoland People’s Front with three members. Together, they command a majority in the House.
In the opposition camp, the Congress currently has 26 MLAs, while the All India United Democratic Front has 15 members. The CPI M has one MLA, and there is also one Independent legislator. Against this backdrop, the Congress screening committee is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the party’s electoral strategy in Assam.
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