Guwahati, Feb 26 The Assam Congress' process of finalising candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections has run into trouble, with the party ordering a fresh survey in nearly 30 constituencies after alleged discrepancies were flagged in the preliminary candidate list, party sources said on Thursday.
According to party sources, the decision to re-evaluate the candidates was taken following the intervention of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has directed a Delhi-based professional agency to conduct a fresh ground-level assessment.
The move comes at a time when the Congress was believed to be close to finalising its first list of candidates.
The initial panel of candidates for these 30 Assembly constituencies had been prepared by the Congress' state-level screening committee after consultations with district units, senior leaders and observers.
The panel was reportedly forwarded to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for approval, with many seats considered almost final.
However, concerns were raised over the winnability, organisational acceptance and local feedback regarding several shortlisted candidates.
Sources said these concerns prompted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to seek a fresh, independent survey to reassess the political ground realities before giving the final approval.
"The survey is aimed at understanding voters' mood, caste and community equations, anti-incumbency factors, and the overall acceptability of potential candidates," a senior party functionary said, adding that the revised exercise is expected to play a crucial role in reshaping the final candidate list.
The development has led to unease within sections of the state Congress, especially among aspirants who believed their candidature was almost certain.
At the same time, Congress leaders said that the exercise reflects the party high command's focus on fielding strong and credible candidates.
With the Assam elections approaching, the Congress is under pressure to get its candidate selection right, particularly in Assembly constituencies where internal factionalism and close contests could impact outcomes.
The party is also exploring alliances and seat-sharing arrangements, making the selection process more complex.
Sources indicated that the fresh survey report is likely to be submitted to the AICC within the next few days, after which the screening committee may revisit and revise its recommendations.
The Congress leadership has not issued an official statement on the matter so far, but insiders say the final candidate list will only be released after the new survey findings are thoroughly examined, even if it delays the announcement.
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