Congress appoints election war room chiefs in five states ahead of 2027 Assembly polls

The Congress has stepped up its preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections by appointing heads of its election war rooms in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand, even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) begins reviewing poll preparedness in the five states.

The appointments were announced on Saturday through a release issued by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). General secretary KC Venugopal said the Congress president had approved the proposal with immediate effect.

Sachin Yadav will head the party's election war room in Uttar Pradesh, Kannan Gopinathan in Punjab, Imroz Khan in Goa, Biswaranjan Mohanty in Manipur and Krishan Satrod in Uttarakhand.

The appointments mark an early organisational step by the party ahead of the Assembly elections, for which the ECI has yet to announce a schedule.

Election Commission begins poll preparedness reviews

The Congress's organisational changes come as the Election Commission starts assessing preparations in the five poll-bound states. An ECI team has begun reviewing arrangements in Uttarakhand, while officials are scheduled to visit Manipur and Punjab, followed by Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

The Commission's reviews are part of the preparations for the upcoming elections. The full Commission generally visits poll-bound states towards the end of the preparatory process, before announcing the election schedule.

The ECI has not yet announced the dates for the 2027 Assembly elections.

BJP rules three poll-bound states

Of the five states scheduled to go to the polls in 2027, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand are governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Punjab is governed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), while Manipur has been under President's Rule following the imposition of central rule in February 2025.

The contests will be significant for the parties as they seek to strengthen their positions ahead of the next electoral cycle. The Congress's appointment of dedicated war room heads is aimed at overseeing its election-related preparations in the respective states.

Assembly terms set to expire in March and May 2027

The terms of four of the five Assemblies are due to end in March 2027, while Uttar Pradesh's Assembly term expires in May.

Manipur's Assembly term ends on March 13, 2027, followed by Goa on March 14, Punjab on March 16 and Uttarakhand on March 28. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly's term expires on May 22, 2027.

The ECI is expected to continue its review of election preparedness in the coming weeks before announcing the schedule for the polls.