In a statement, KC Venugopal, the general secretary (Organisation) of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), revealed the teams of senior observers for the five states and Union Territories — Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry — set to hold elections in the early part of this year.
This announcement follows the recent appointment of Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the chairperson of the screening committee for the Assam elections.
Shivakumar, Baghel, and Tirkey are recognized as close associates of Vadra, who also serves as the AICC general secretary.
The elections for the 126 constituencies in Assam are expected to occur around March-April.
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Last month, an alliance was formed among Congress, 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 elections collectively.
Currently, the ruling BJP holds 64 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, while its allies, AGP, have nine MLAs, UPPL has seven, and BPF has three members.
On the opposition side, the Congress has 26 seats, AIUDF holds 15 members, and CPI(M) has one MLA, alongside an independent legislator.
