Congress eyes quick TN unit rejig after Bihar jolt

CHENNAI: Following its poor performance in the Bihar Assembly election, the Congress has shifted its focus to rebuilding the party at the district level in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has initiated a major organisational restructuring effort at the district level as the party prepares for the 2026 Assembly election. The move follows the party’s disappointing performance in the Bihar 2025 Legislative Assembly polls, where the Indian National Congress, a key constituent of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, contested 61 seats but secured only 6.

In an effort to strengthen the organisation before entering the election year, the TNCC has resumed the long-pending reconstruction process. A few days ago, Tamil Nadu election committee chief Girish Chodankar told the media that all vacant district Congress president posts would be filled before the polls.

To expedite the process, the AICC has deputed 38 observers to Tamil Nadu to supervise the organisational restructuring.

On Friday, AICC working committee member and Chennai district observer Raghuveera Reddy met the press and outlined the roadmap.

He said the reconstruction exercise would be carried out over a month and that applications were open to all party members interested in becoming district presidents. “There are no rigid parameters or restrictions. The only requirement is that the applicant must be a Congress member,” he said, adding that priority would be given to young and active workers.

Reddy further said that each observer would submit a detailed report to the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Once the observers complete their assessments, the list of recommended district presidents will be forwarded to the AICC leadership for final approval. After that, he said, the party would begin strengthening the organisation from the mandal level to the booth committee level.