Corruption to illegal syndicates: Priyanka Gandhi releases 20-point chargesheet against BJP govt in Assam

Priyanka Gandhi in Guwahati

• Priyanka Gandhi issues 20-point chargesheet against Assam BJP government
• Congress calls Assam candidate screening exercise unprecedented
• Congress leaders express confidence ahead of 2026 Assam elections

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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday released a 20-point ‘people’s chargesheet’ against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the state.

Congress MP and screening committee chairperson Vadra arrived on a two-day visit to the state. Her visit is significant amid the party's preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections.

Her meetings in the state capital, Guwahati, are expected to focus on evaluating potential candidates, reviewing organisational preparedness and strengthening coordination between the state leadership and the All India Congress Committee (AICC). She is closely supervising is termed an "unprecedented and systematic" screening exercise for candidates in Assam.

The chargesheet accused the BJP-led government of creating a parallel economy of illegal syndicates, with state government ministers allegedly amassing huge wealth through corruption, taking large loans, and pushing the economy towards a debt trap.

Other charges included not granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities despite a promise made over 10 years ago, handing over large tracts of land to big industries by evicting indigenous people, and not implementing Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord, which promised constitutional safeguards for the Assamese people.

The Congress claimed that the chargesheet, prepared by a committee headed by Lok Sabha lawmaker Pradyut Bordoloi, lists 20 charges labelled by common people against the state government.

Responding to questions from the press on the recent defection of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Bora to the BJP, Vadra downplayed the development. “Defection occurs prior to every election. It’s a given and very common. But we, the Congress, will fight together as a united entity and everybody is taking it as a war and our soldiers would fight and win,” she said.

Three senior Congress leaders from outside the state also joined the programme. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is serving as a senior observer for the Assam elections along with Bhupesh Baghel and Bandhu Tirkey, expressed confidence in the party’s prospects.

Asserting that public sentiment favours change, Shivakumar dismissed remarks made by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “This is Congress’ state and it has a great legacy here. Only individuals who haven’t had any political space, the BJP is picking them up. He is not strong on his work. He is not strong on his commitment. You know that his party is losing here. That is why he is making baseless statements,” he said.