MGNREGA vs G Ram G: How protest rallies turning blessing in disguise for faction-ridden Punjab Congress
In the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections, the MGNREGA and its new avatar G RAM G have become a latest tool in the hands of the political parties to push forward their election agenda.
For the Congress, the controversy over the revamp of the scheme has come as blessing in disguise, giving it an opportunity to bring all warring factions on one platform.
While holding the ‘Save MGNREGA’ rallies, the Congress also seems to be correcting its perception of rift within the party. The rallies, which started on January 8, shall continue till January 12. Being conducted in the presence of Punjab incharge Bhupesh Baghel and Congress co-incharge Ravinder Dalvi, several leaders of the party had been sent across the message to attend all 10 rallies (two each day).
The rallies are being held in the rural and semi-rural pockets of Tanda, Balachaur, Samrala, Rajpura , Bhucho Mandi, Bagha Purana, Guru Harsahai and Tarn Taran.
Directions had been issued to all party senior leaders to remain present in all the 10 rallies. Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh said, “I shall be attending almost all rallies as per a message received from the top leadership. I had also taken along with me some workers from Jalandhar when I had gone to Tanda yesterday”.
It is not common to spot both Warring and Pargat together on the same stage. Pargat, who had been eyeing the post of the PCC chief or the LoP in the recent past, is known not to go well with Warring. Unlike most leaders of the party who had sided with Warring post his controversial statement regarding former Union Home Minister Buta Singh, Pargat had criticised his party president over the remarks.
Most insiders are of the opinion that by making Pargat deliver speeches at all the rallies, the party either wants to placate him by giving him importance on its platforms or wants to assess him for his roles in future. “If the party plans to make any change in the positions in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections, it can make a due judgement from the speeches and participation of the leaders in these events of the party. MGNREGA is a scheme which has been very dear to Rahul Gandhi since its inception. So every leader who speaks well in Punjab on this issue and is able to draw good crowds to these rallies can expect to be in the good books of the central leadership and await rewards”, said a former Jalandhar youth president of the party.
A poster which party’s Punjab incharge Bhupesh Baghel put up on his social media account about the ongoing rallies this morning did not have the picture of any of the Punjab leaders, not even that of PCC chief. “This perhaps has been deliberately done as he does not want to project any power centre in the state and wants to keep all big leaders at the same level. He is trying to weigh them all before making any future decision”, said a party MLA.
Party leaders, including Partap Bajwa, Sukhjinder Randhawa and Tript Rajinder Bajwa, are also attending most of these rallies. Among the biggies in the party, Charanjit Channi, former Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP, is missing. He, however, is learnt to be away to Andaman and Nicobar Islands to attend a parliamentary panel meet.
