The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati has remained busy over the past several days as a large number of party leaders and workers submitted applications seeking Congress tickets for the upcoming 2026 Assam Assembly elections. The steady flow of aspirants has highlighted early political activity and growing internal mobilisation within the party.
The process picked up pace from January 17, when over 200 Congress hopefuls personally visited Rajiv Bhawan to submit their completed application forms. Party sources said that nearly 1,500 application forms were downloaded from the official APCC website, apcc.assam.org, showing wide interest among party workers across the state. On January 17 alone, around 100 aspirants submitted their forms, coming from Upper Assam, Lower Assam and Central Assam.
Each applicant was required to submit a Rs 50,000 demand draft in favour of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee. Party officials said the process remained orderly, with proper acknowledgements issued to applicants. To manage the rising footfall, special arrangements were made at the Hiteswar Saikia Memorial Hall inside Rajiv Bhawan, where multiple counters were set up from January 17 to ensure smooth submission without overcrowding.
January 17 also coincided with Silpi Divas in Assam, adding to the significance of the day. Several senior Congress leaders and long-time party workers visited Rajiv Bhawan on the occasion, which further increased the number of applications.
By January 19, the rush reached a peak, with around 300 applications submitted in a single day, the highest ever recorded by the party. By the evening of January 20, the total number of applications crossed 600, prompting the Congress to extend the deadline to January 28 to accommodate more aspirants.
Confirming the development, APCC treasurer Dr Hemahari Pegu said applications were continuing to pour in from all regions of Assam. He said the high number of applicants reflected growing interest among party workers ahead of the Assembly polls.
Among those who submitted applications are sitting MLAs Wazed Ali Choudhury, Pradip Sarkar and Abdul Baten Khandkar, former minister Pranati Phukan, and several young leaders including Pallavi Saikia, Bidisha Neog and Ratul Kalita. Senior leader Rekibuddin Ahmed, a three-time MLA, led a large rally from Goraimari to Rajiv Bhawan to submit his application for the newly created Chamaria constituency. Young leaders such as Abinash Gogoi were also seen at the party headquarters.
The ticket process is being overseen by senior AICC observers, including Bhupesh Baghel, DK Shivakumar and Bandhu Tirkey. The observers recently attended a strategy meeting in Delhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking on the political line ahead, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi has ruled out any alliance with AIUDF, stating that the party no longer has a strong organisational base. He said the Congress would work towards building a broader secular platform with like-minded parties. Party leaders said the campaign will focus on issues such as corruption, unemployment, rising prices, and unfulfilled promises, including the long-pending demand for ST status for six communities.
