On pretext of MGNREGA and VB-G-RAM-G, Cong, BJP push their 2027 agenda in Punjab

Even as both opposition parties in Punjab, the Congress and the BJP, claim to be reaching out to the rural populace over employment and livelihood schemes, parallel rallies by the two parties between January 7 and 12 demonstrate that the real contest has already been shifted towards the 2027 Assembly elections.

The Congress organised 10 rallies in five days from January 8 to 12 under the “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram”, beginning with Gurdaspur on January 8 and covering Bholath, Samrala, Muktsar and Moga, with the last rally of the first phase taking place at Guru-Har-Sahai in Ferozepur district. AICC Punjab in-charge and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel attended all these rallies.

In response, the BJP launched “Jan Jagran Abhiyan” on January 7 in Fazilka, followed by 7  programmes in Jalandhar, Sujanpur, Jagraon, Samrala, Fatehgarh Sahib and other areas till January 11 to counter the Congress’s narrative against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G-RAM-G) as well as to sensitise people about the newly launched scheme, even roping in Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for a rally in Samrala on January 11.

As these rallies presented both parties with opportunities to mobilise rural masses before going to the state elections, they will announce the second phase soon.

Though the Congress launched these rallies to protest the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, with the VB-G-RAM-G, the party’s dominant narrative revolved around its unity, denial of factionalism and the 2027 elections, with Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa striking a sharp political note at the concluding rally. “The people of Punjab want a united Congress. The way the AAP has troubled the masses, the Congress is the only alternative in Punjab. We are assuring our workers that all fake FIRs lodged by the AAP government against them will be withdrawn after we are voted to power. We will end this gangsterism… no one will get extortion calls… law and order has gone for a toss under the AAP government,” Bajwa said.

At their first rally in Gurdaspur, Bajwa, former deputy CM and local MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Bhupesh Baghel reached the rally venue in one vehicle, sending out the message of unity in the Congress to the people.

The absence of PPCC working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu from the Samrala rally, despite being based in Ludhiana, and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi attending only the last rally at Guru-Har-Sahai dealt a blow to the Congress leaders’ “unity” effort. Ashu too attended that rally.

Baghel, however, sought to dispel any speculation over their absence on Monday: “The entire party is united. Channi was busy with a parliamentary committee meeting in Chennai, and Rana Gurjeet was part of programmes in his area. There is no question of any difference in the party.”

A senior BJP leader said, “The Congress’s MGNREGA Sangram rallies were less about MGNREGA and more about attacking the AAP government, the 2027 Assembly polls and projecting the unity in the party.”

Addressing the Samrala rally, Randhawa sought to end speculation over the CM face: “None of us wants to be CM. We want a Congress government in the state. It is being spread that there are many CM faces. There is no groupism. We consider orders of Mallikarjun Kharge ji, Rahul Gandhi ji and in Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel ji… Congress is united,” he said.

Almost every rally, Baghel too said that there was no CM face in the Congress at present. “The Congress will contest the 2027 Assembly elections under joint and collective leadership. They are all our chief ministerial faces,” he said, flanked by Warring and Bajwa, in Bathinda on January 11.

In Muktsar on January 12, Baghel claimed the Congress was on a comeback trail. “The massive participation in MGNREGA Bachao Sangram rallies and the 2024 parliamentary election results prove the Congress is on a firm footing in Punjab,” he said.

Warring said the party would soon roll out Phase 2 of the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram. “We will not sit quiet till MGNREGA is restored in its original shape. The public response to the rallies was overwhelming. We will reach out to the rest of the districts soon.”

The presence of Haryana CM Saini, state BJP president Sunil Jakhar and working president Ashwani Sharma at the Samrala rally gave a broader political weight to the BJP’s campaign.

The BJP is set to organise a political rally to highlight the VB-G-RAM-G scheme and issues related to Punjab on January 14 at the historic Maghi Mela at Sri Muktsar Sahib, marking its debut at the event.

In Fazilka, Jakhar pitched the BJP as an alternative in Punjab. “Villagers are saying they made a mistake by voting the AAP to power. Only the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi can save Punjab. Give a chance to the BJP,” he urged people.

“The second phase will be announced soon. We are reaching deep rural pockets to explain the scheme and its benefits,” said a BJP leader.

The Punjab chapter of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (India) organised demonstrations in 20 districts of Punjab, where the burnt in Lohri bonfires copies of what they termed “black laws”.

The organisation alleged, “The VB-G-RAM-G Act, 2025, proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2025, Seed Bill 2025, tax-free agreements and some other laws and policies are pro-corporate and anti-people.” It also accused the Punjab government of implementing these policies instead of opposing them.

The demonstrations were held in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga, Ludhiana, Barnala, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Bathinda, Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala, Mohali, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Nawanshahr.

The organisation announced future protest programmes.