Guwahati, March 16: The release of the second list of candidates by the Indian National Congress for the upcoming Assam Legislative Assembly elections has triggered fresh discussion within party circles after two prominent young leaders were denied party tickets.
The omission of Aman Wadud and Reetam Singh, both regarded as key members of the party’s emerging young brigade and active strategists behind its digital and research operations, has prompted debate over the Congress’ candidate selection process and its stated commitment to promoting younger leadership.
According to the list released on March 14, the party nominated Devid Phukan as its candidate for the Tinsukia constituency, while the Chamaria seat was allotted to Rekibuddin Ahmed. The decision effectively ruled out Singh, who had been preparing to contest from Tinsukia, and Wadud, who had been politically active in Chamaria.
Both leaders have been serving as spokespersons and key social media coordinators for the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and played a significant role in shaping the party’s communication strategy ahead of the elections. Their work included research inputs, policy messaging and digital outreach aimed at countering the narrative of the ruling government.
Singh, a practising advocate at the Gauhati High Court, has been associated with the Congress since 2016 after returning to India from the United Kingdom. Over the years, he held several organisational roles within the party’s student and youth wings, including serving as national legal chairman and media coordinator of the National Students’ Union of India. He was also part of the party’s Assam war room during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and later handled electoral responsibilities in constituencies such as Jorhat, Dhubri and Karimganj.
Singh also contributed legal research and strategic inputs for Congress spokespersons. Earlier in his legal career, he worked as a law clerk to former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, assisting in several significant legal matters.
Similarly, Wadud, also a practising advocate at the Gauhati High Court, built his profile through legal activism and political communication. A law graduate from MS Ramaiah College, he previously worked with social activist Harsh Mander and the Human Rights Law Network before joining the Congress in 2023. Wadud has been widely known for his criticism of the state government’s demolition and eviction drives.
His political engagement deepened during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he interacted closely with Rahul Gandhi. He was later inducted into the party’s communication structure as a spokesperson and became a vocal critic of government policies.
Within the APCC’s communication framework, Singh and Wadud were considered instrumental in managing the party’s digital outreach, particularly after former social media chairman Prafulla Das left the organisation and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in late 2025.
For several years, the Congress leadership has emphasised the need to promote educated and issue-focused young leaders capable of connecting with younger voters. Despite the denial of tickets in the current election cycle, both Wadud and Singh remain active within the party’s organisational structure and continue to contribute to its communication strategy.
