Congress plans major Bengal overhaul… AICC observers to visit all 32 districts before key organisational reshuffle

The Congress leadership has initiated a significant organisational review in West Bengal, with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) set to send observers to all 32 organisational districts across the state. The move is aimed at assessing the party’s grassroots structure and gathering direct feedback before taking key organisational decisions.

According to senior party leaders, the observers will interact with district leaders, office-bearers, and committee members to understand the political landscape and evaluate the functioning of local units. Their findings are expected to play a crucial role in the appointment of new district Congress presidents.

A push for transparency in organisational appointments

Party leaders said the exercise is intended to make the selection of district presidents more transparent and less dependent on recommendations from the state leadership.

“The AICC wants direct feedback from the districts before making organisational appointments. The objective is to ensure that decisions are based on ground realities and organisational performance,” a senior Congress leader said.

The party is expected to appoint one observer for each organisational district, with the final list likely to be announced by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Rare organisational exercise in West Bengal

Senior state Congress leaders described the initiative as one of the most comprehensive organisational reviews undertaken by the party in the state in recent years. They believe the exercise reflects the central leadership’s renewed focus on strengthening the Congress ahead of future political battles in West Bengal.

The review follows the changes introduced by the AICC after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

After the polls, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal visited Kolkata to assess the party’s performance and hold discussions with state leaders. Soon afterwards, the party replaced Gulam Mir with Prakash Joshi, a senior leader from Uttarakhand, as the new AICC in-charge for West Bengal.

New in-charge begins organisational review

Prakash Joshi began his first round of meetings with senior state Congress leaders on Monday, with further discussions scheduled to continue over the next few days.

Ahead of these meetings, district leaders have been directed to submit detailed reports under a 10-point organisational agenda.

One of the key requirements is the preparation of a comprehensive list of leaders and workers who joined the Congress after the Assembly election results. The party has sought details such as their previous political affiliation, political background, age, and whether they have been assigned any organisational responsibilities since joining.

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According to party sources, the AICC also wants updated information on district office-bearers, block presidents, leaders of frontal organisations, municipalities and municipal corporations under each organisational district, and candidates who contested the 2026 Assembly elections.

Focus on expanding the party with clean leadership

The organisational review also aligns with the Congress leadership’s strategy of expanding its base while maintaining ethical standards.

Earlier, KC Venugopal had advised state leaders to welcome politicians willing to join the Congress from other parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC). However, he made it clear that individuals facing corruption or criminal charges should not be inducted into the party.

With several leaders joining the Congress in recent weeks, the new AICC leadership is expected to carefully scrutinise every new entrant as part of its broader effort to rebuild the party organisation in West Bengal.