As the Congress intensifies its preparations for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections and appoints Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to supervise ticket screening, candidates on the ground have received a direct message: if you wish to run, you must deposit Rs 50,000.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) invited party members to apply for party tickets in a circular obtained by The Tribune.
However, the APCC made the submission of a Rs 50,000 demand draft a requirement at the application stage, thereby making entry into the ticket race a pay first procedure.
Applications would be received between January 5 and January 20 and would only be taken into consideration if they were accompanied by a demand draft drawn in favor of the APCC, according to the directive, which was issued on APCC President Gaurav Gogoi's directions.
Even though the party has referred to the sum as an application fee, the action has caused controversy inside the party, especially when compared to party policies in other states.
The Congress charged Rs 15,000 to candidates from the reserved category and Rs 25,000 to those from other categories for the Lok Sabha ticket in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections, modelled after Karnataka and Telangana.
In Andhra Pradesh, candidates from unreserved categories paid Rs 10,000 for an Assembly seat, while those from reserved categories paid Rs 5,000.
In a similar vein, the Congress set a fee of Rs 20,000 per application per seat for candidates from the general category during the Haryana Assembly elections, while candidates from the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and women's categories were instructed to pay Rs 5,000 apiece.
In light of this, the flat Rs 50,000 cost in Assam, which does not differentiate between categories, has caused quiet disquiet among grassroots workers, particularly in a state where there are 126 seats in the Legislative Assembly and fierce intra-party competition is anticipated.
Additionally, the APCC said that the application fee would be repaid in the event that certain Assembly seats were vacated in favor of alliance partners. The procedure and timeframe for returns, however, are not mentioned in the circular.
A prescribed form, an undertaking, and a certified copy of their name on the voter list are required of applicants. Candidates must provide Xerox copies of the application form and the demand draft to the presidents of the relevant district and block Congress committees after submitting their application at the APCC headquarters.
At a time when the Congress is trying to portray itself as a platform for common workers against a resource-heavy ruling party, the decision has sparked rumors within the party, with some employees privately wondering if financial capability is being used as an informal filter.
In addition to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Imran Masood, and Sirivella Prasad have been nominated to the screening committee, which will be responsible for shortlisting candidates and directing internal discussions prior to the elections.
