Congress appoints state war room leadership ahead of assembly polls

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Congress on Tuesday announced the appointment of Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons for State War Rooms in key states ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The appointments were approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and communicated through a press release issued by party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The newly appointed leaders will oversee election strategy and coordination efforts in their respective states.

The appointments are as follows:

Assam: Amit Sihag has been named Chairperson, with Rhituparna Konwar and Santanu Bora as Vice-Chairpersons.

West Bengal: B. P. Singh has been appointed Chairperson.

Kerala: Harsha Kanadam will serve as Chairperson.

Tamil Nadu: B. R. Naidu has been named Chairperson.

Puducherry: John Ashok Varadarajan has been appointed Chairperson.

The appointments take effect immediately and are part of the party’s broader preparations to strengthen its organisational machinery and campaign infrastructure in the lead-up to the elections.

In Assam, the BJP-led NDA currently holds a dominant position in Assam, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the helm. The 2026 elections will test the NDA’s ability to retain power.

In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, is preparing to defend its stronghold against a resurgent BJP. Communal tensions, corruption allegations, and border security concerns have intensified political rhetoric.

In Kerala, the political landscape remains a contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress.

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, is seeking re-election amid challenges from the AIADMK-BJP alliance and actor Vijay’s new party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

In Puducherry, the NDA coalition led by AINRC and BJP currently governs the union territory.

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s leadership will be tested as the Congress and DMK attempt a comeback. The territory’s small assembly size and history of defections make it a volatile political battleground.

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