Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visits Guwahati for a two-day trip to strengthen Congress ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections amid internal party tensions and candidate preparations.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visits Guwahati for a two-day trip to strengthen Congress [Photo: X]
Assam: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Guwahati today for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, likely to be held in April 2026. Her visit comes at a time when the Assam Congress is facing internal disagreements and organisational challenges.
Priyanka Gandhi, who is the Congress general secretary, MP from Wayanad and chairperson of the party’s screening committee landed at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport around 10 a.m. She was welcomed by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and other senior party leaders. Party workers gathered at the airport and along the route, raising slogans and waving flags.
Soon after her arrival, she visited the famous Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill and offered prayers. Speaking briefly to reporters outside the temple, she said, 'This is a religious place; I won’t do politics here. I have come to seek blessings.' She avoided answering questions related to election strategy at that time.
The main purpose of her visit is to speed up preparations for the 2026 Assembly polls, especially the selection of candidates. Over the next two days, she is scheduled to hold a series of meetings at Rajiv Bhawan, the state Congress headquarters. These meetings include discussions with the Political Affairs Committee, 21 Congress MLAs, MPs, district presidents, and block-level leaders. Feedback collected by screening committee members during their recent district tours will also be reviewed. Party sources say the first list of candidates could be finalised by the end of this month.
'Our efforts are to distribute tickets well and contest the elections strongly,' Priyanka Gandhi told reporters. On possible alliances with parties like the AIUDF or regional groups, she simply said, 'Wait and watch.'
However, her visit comes at a time when the Assam Congress is dealing with serious internal issues. Just days before her arrival, former APCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah resigned from his post. In his resignation, he reportedly accused Gaurav Gogoi of 'high-handedness' and alleged that personal ambitions were harming possible alliances. There were also reports that Borah might join the BJP. Though some accounts later suggested that he may have withdrawn his resignation after internal talks, the episode exposed deep divisions within the party.
The internal tensions have raised concerns about how united the Congress is going into the elections. The party has already faced difficulties in seat-sharing talks in the past. Leaders have also spoken about 'ego clashes' and leadership disagreements which could weaken the party’s chances against the BJP’s strong organisation in the state.
Mira Borthakur, a senior Assam Congress leader told The Sunday Guardian that Priyanka Gandhi’s visit was important at this stage. “Priyanka ji’s visit is a timely boost and her hands-on approach will help us refocus on issues like governance failures under Himanta Biswa Sarma. The public is tired of BJP’s divisive tactics; we need to channel that discontent,” she said.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress won 29 seats. This time, the party is hoping that Priyanka Gandhi’s presence and active involvement in candidate selection will help improve its performance. At the same time, the party faces several challenges. The BJP, led in the state by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has built a strong base with its development narrative and anti-infiltration stand.
