The Congress leadership believes that a dormant internal network in Assam, which the party refers to as a potential sleeper cell, is still active and influencing organisational decisions. According to senior leaders, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who crossed over from Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), continues to hold sway over a few individuals within the Congress structure in the state. The party now hopes that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's deeper involvement will help neutralise this influence.
Priyanka Gandhi's renewed push in Assam
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was highly active behind the scenes during the previous Assam Assembly elections, even though she was not publicly visible throughout the campaign. At that time, Bhupesh Baghel served as the senior observer for the state. Congress insiders believe that Priyanka's assertive leadership, strategic clarity and ability to connect with cadres can help energise the organisation and counter any covert influence still lingering from Sarma's departure.
Why Assam matters for Congress
The party's renewed focus on Assam is driven by clear political calculations. Unlike West Bengal, where Congress has no strong organisational base, or Tamil Nadu, where it remains a junior partner, Assam offers the Congress a realistic chance of a comeback, as per party leaders. Priyanka Gandhi also cannot take organisational responsibility in Kerala due to internal norms that prevent leaders from holding positions in states they represent as MPs, as it may create concerns of vested interest. Given these limitations, Assam has emerged as the most promising battleground for Priyanka Gandhi to take charge and shape the narrative.
Cadre morale and narrative control
Congress leaders also believe that Priyanka's presence will help the party build a strong narrative, stay consistently in the news and boost the morale of ground-level workers. Her involvement is expected to signal the party's seriousness about reclaiming Assam and give momentum to alliance partners as well.
The numbers that matter
In the previous Assembly elections, the Mahajot alliance secured 43.68 per cent of the vote, while the NDA received 44.51 per cent. The NDA won 75 seats compared to the Mahajot's 50. The screening committee was then chaired by Prithviraj Chavan. Congress believes that with organisational stability, strategic messaging and Priyanka's leadership, the gap can be bridged in the coming elections.
Assam Assembly elections 2026
It is worth mentioning here that legislative assembly elections are expected to be held in Assam in March-April this year to elect 126 members of the Assam Legislative Assembly. The tenure of the Assam Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 20 May 2026. The previous assembly elections were held in March-April 2021. After the election, the incumbent National Democratic Alliance formed the state government again after winning 75 out of 126 seats in the assembly, with Himanta Biswa Sarma becoming Chief Minister.
