The Indian National Congress has accelerated preparations for upcoming assembly elections by appointing chairpersons of state-level War Rooms in five states.
In a press release issued on October 24, 2026, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal announced that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the appointments with immediate effect.
The appointments are:
- Shri Sachin Yadav — Uttar Pradesh
- Shri Kannan Gopinathan — Punjab
- Shri Imroz Khan — Goa
- Shri Biswaranjan Mohanty — Manipur
- Shri Krishan Satrod — Uttarakhand
These leaders will head the party’s election strategy and coordination centres in their respective states. War Rooms typically serve as central hubs for campaign planning, booth-level management, data analysis, candidate coordination, and real-time response during the election cycle.
The move signals the party’s focus on strengthening organisational infrastructure well in advance of the polls. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are among the bigger contests expected in 2027, while Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand also face assembly elections in the coming cycle. Sachin Yadav, a Madhya Pradesh MLA and former minister, has been tasked with Uttar Pradesh, while former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan—who joined the Congress in 2025 after resigning from service in 2019—will oversee Punjab.
The appointments form part of the Congress’s broader effort to revitalise its state units and build campaign infrastructure. By placing dedicated chairpersons in charge of War Rooms, the party aims to improve coordination between the central leadership and state organisations as election preparations intensify.
