Top Cong Leaders To Visit Bengal To Overhaul The Party, Prepare Strategy For 2026 Assembly Polls

(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS) In a bid to accelerate the work of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) and its organisation, the National President of the Congress' organisational wing, K.C. Venugopal, Karnataka leader Nasir Hussain and Congress youth organisation leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, are coming to the state.

A senior Congress leader said that Venugopal will be coming to Kolkata on September 11.

He will meet with the WBPCC President Subhankar Sarkar, Congress observer for West Bengal Ghulam Ahmed Mir at a hotel in Kolkata.

The state party leadership said that this meeting is significant for the next year's Assembly elections in the state.

On September 15, Nasir Hussain and Kanhaiya Kumar will hold a meeting at Rammohan Hall in north Kolkata.

Sources said that several former Left leaders will join the Congress there.

After taking charge of the State Congress unit, President Subhankar Sarkar has been reshuffling the party organisation at all levels, from the district to the state.

He had initially said that this was his primary and one of the main goals.

To avoid party conflicts and increase organisational strength, the Pradesh Congress under the leadership of Sarkar has increased the number of organisational districts.

Earlier, the number of organisational districts of the party was 28, which has now been increased to 33.

From September 11-15, the national leaders of the Congress will hold regular meetings with the 33 organisational district presidents and office bearers of various branches.

Pradesh Congress spokesperson Ashok Bhattacharya said that the election strategy for the Assembly elections will be decided there.

"As the 2026 elections approach, such programmes and meetings will continue. The Pradesh Congress leadership will go into the Assembly election with full strength. The election strategy will be chalked out," Bhattacharya added.

At the same time, three organisations of the Pradesh Congress -- the Executive Committee, the Election Committee and the Political Affairs Committee -- are continuously participating in various programmes across the state.

On the other hand, the media management team of the Pradesh Congress has started a 'Media Talent Hunt' on the instructions of the AICC Communication and Outreach Department.

This programme was earlier held at the national level.

This time this programme is being conducted at the state level.

The goal of this programme is to find spokespersons in four languages ​​-- Bengali, English, Hindi and Urdu.

The target has been set to complete the recruitment process by September 20.

Last month, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge approved the constitution of Political Affairs Committee, Pradesh Election Committee and Executive Committee for West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).

The party also appointed officer bearers and district presidents for the state Congress unit.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir has been made a member in the newly-constituted Political Affairs Committee and Election Committee for West Bengal.

The formation of political affairs committee and election committee and the visit of Central Congress leaders to the state assume significance ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls.

The development comes amid uncertainty within the West Bengal Congress over its potential alliance or seat-sharing strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections, amid clear signs that the party's central leadership -- including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi -- is drawing closer to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The central question troubling state Congress leaders is whether the party will continue its seat-sharing arrangement with the CPI-M-led Left Front -- already going on since 2016 -- or switch to a new partnership with the TMC for the 2026 state polls.

Officially, the State Congress President, Subhankar Sarkar, has said that whether at the national level or the state level, the final decision of alliance or seat-sharing agreement ultimately rests with the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

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