Cong to stage protest over VB-G Ram G Act, BJP pushes outreach

The Congress on Saturday announced a 45-day nationwide agitation, titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram,” to pressure the government into restoring the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its outreach to counter criticism of VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) -- the new legislation that replaced the rural jobs scheme.

The campaigns come ahead of assembly polls in four states and one Union Territory, with both national parties aiming to mobilise voters at the grassroots level.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and communication chief Jairam Ramesh announced on Saturday that the “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” will be held in three phases.

“The Indian National Congresss will launch the first phase of its 45-day MGNREGA Bachao Sangram across all states, districts, blocks, and gram panchayats from Jan 8, 2026. The Sangram is to restore the Constitutional right to work... The law bulldozed through to replace MGNREGA, 2005 is a recipe for dangerous centralisation, the devastation of state finances, and the loss of bargaining power for rural daily wage-earners,” Ramesh posted on X. He added that they will also go to court against the new scheme.

In an attempt to make the pro-MGNREGA into a wider agitation, Venugopal said the Congress “will hold detailed discussions with all the opposition-ruled states, and fight together.”

On the other hand, BJP national president JP Nadda, working president Nitin Nabin and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan have began holding a series of online sessions for chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, state presidents, MLAs, MLCs, state and national office bearers and lawmakers to brief them on the VB G Ram G Act.

In the recently concluded winter session, the Centre initiated VB G Ram G Bill, which became an Act after President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on December 21.

According to a senior BJP functionary, the party remains confident about the VB G Ram G Act.

“The Opposition is making all kinds of allegations about the bill and how it will adversely impact guaranteed employment. We are confident that this time the government’s efforts through outreach about the revamped scheme will not allow the opposition to run with its false narrative,” he said. He added that the BJP cadre has been instructed to highlight how the revised bill focuses on key issues such as water conservation, core infrastructure development, livelihood, and climate issues.