Guwahati, Jan 8: The Congress party has named Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and former Jharkhand MLA Bandhu Tirkey as senior observers for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections.
The announcement was made by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, who also released the list of senior observers for elections in five states and Union Territories—Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry—scheduled in the first half of 2026.
The appointments follow the recent selection of Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as chairperson of the Congress screening committee for Assam. Shivakumar, Baghel, and Tirkey are reported to be close aides of Vadra, who also serves as AICC general secretary.
Elections for Assam’s 126 assembly constituencies are expected to be held in March–April 2026.
Last month, Congress formed an alliance with CPI(M), Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Jatiya Dal-Asom (JDA), and the Karbi Anglong-based All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) to contest the polls jointly.
In the 126-member Assembly, the ruling BJP holds 64 seats, with allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) at nine, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) at seven, and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) at three. Opposition parties include Congress with 26 seats, AIUDF 15, CPI(M) one, and one independent MLA.
