Congress Deploys Central Observers To Counter NDA In Poll-Bound States
The party has designated senior leaders for Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry to counter the NDA, and revive organisational strength.
Published : January 8, 2026 at 6:32 PM IST
New Delhi: The Congress party is keen to get good results in the five upcoming Assembly Elections in 2026 and has deployed various senior leaders to counter the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s influence.
The party, which lost the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025 and the Maharashtra and Haryana state polls in 2024, later blamed the results on alleged vote theft. The deployment of All India Congress Committee (AICC) veterans as observers is being seen as a renewed attempt to secure positive results in the 2026 Assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Assam
In Assam, where the Congress-led opposition is aiming to unseat the NDA government that has been in power since 2016, the party has stepped up its organisational push. It has appointed former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar as AICC observers, days after naming Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to head the candidate screening committee.
The party faces an uphill task in countering the NDA, led by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in the northeastern state. According to insiders, while Priyanka is expected to ensure a transparent candidate selection process, Baghel and Shivakumar are expected to counter the NDA’s control over administration and its vast resources. The party has also deployed Bandhu Tirkey in Assam.
The 2026 Assam elections will be a big challenge for the Grand Old Party, which won only 29 of Assam's 126 Assembly seats in the 2021 elections, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 60 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress could win only three of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the saffron party won nine.
AICC secretary in-charge of Assam, Manoj Chauhan, told ETV Bharat, “The three AICC observers have experience in managing elections and governments. Their guidance and input will be useful in fighting the NDA, which will use every trick to win the upcoming elections. They have the resources and run the administration, so we need better plans to counter them.”
Kerala
In Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has been in opposition since 2016, the GOP hopes to dislodge the ruling LDF, led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan, on the back of its recent good showing in the local self-government elections.
According to party insiders, Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will oversee the upcoming contest in the state, while Congress Working Committee member Sachin Pilot will assist her as the AICC observer in the southern state.
Younger faces like Imran Pratapgarhi and Kanhaiya Kumar, who campaigned extensively in the Bihar elections, and Karnataka minister and veteran K J George, have also been named as observers in Kerala.
According to party insiders, an internal survey showed that the UDF had an edge over the LDF in around 90 of 140 seats in Kerala, but needed to present a united front and run an aggressive campaign over the coming days, to win the polls.
AICC secretary in-charge of Kerala, P V Mohan, told ETV Bharat, “The state unit is united, as seen in the recent local body elections, but we still need an aggressive campaign to expose the failures of the LDF government. The central observers will help bring the required energy and experience in the crucial state elections.”
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
In Tamil Nadu, where the Congress has been supporting the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government from the outside, the GOP is hopeful that its alliance will be finalised soon, and that together, it will be able to retain power by defeating the NDA.
However, a slight delay in finalising the seat-sharing formula has provoked some state unit leaders to make some controversial statements recently, which has irked the DMK.
According to party insiders, the presence of veterans like Mukul Wasnik and Uttam Kumar Reddy will help the party coordinate better with its major ally, the DMK, bring vocal leaders under control, and focus on strengthening its own organisation to counter the NDA, ahead of the forthcoming elections. Along with Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin, Wasnik and Reddy will also act as observers in neighbouring Puducherry.
AICC secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Suraj Hegde, told ETV Bharat, “The state unit has started work on strengthening the organisation to prepare for the state polls. We hope the seat-sharing formula is finalised in time to counter the NDA. We have learnt lessons from the recent Bihar contest, and are plugging the gaps in the southern state. The presence of veterans as observers will certainly aid the GOP and the alliance.”
West Bengal
In West Bengal, the main contest is between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. Yet, the Congress has deployed veteran Sudip Roy Burman, a permanent invitee to the CWC, along with former Bihar legislative party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan and former AICC functionary Prakash Joshi as AICC observers, to boost its prospects.
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