Congress appoints observers for Assam, Bengal, Kerala, TN, Puducherry polls

New Delhi: The Congress party on Wednesday appointed observers for Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and West Bengal as the party steps up preparations for Assembly elections due in these states and the Union Territory in 2026.

Assam is expected to vote in March–April 2026.  Kerala is expected to go to polls in April 2026. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to hold Assembly elections in April–May 2026. West Bengal is expected to vote in March–April 2026. 

According to the list, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar have been named as observers for Assam. Bandhu Tirkey has also been appointed as an observer for the state.

For Kerala, the party has named Sachin Pilot, K J George, Imran Pratapgarhi and Kanhaiya Kumar as observers.

In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Mukul Wasnik, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin have been appointed as observers.

For West Bengal, the observers named are Sudip Roy Barman, Shakeel Ahmad Khan and Prakash Joshi.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was announced as the head of the screening committee in Assam, indicating a sharper organisational push as the party moves towards candidate selection and campaign planning in the poll-bound state.