Rahul Gandhi Punjab visit: Congress leader to hold Insaaf Rally in CM Manns home turf Sangrur, eyes Malwas 69 seats
Sangrur is Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district and is part of Punjab’s Malwa with the region having 69 of the state’s 117 Assembly seats, making it politically important.
PTC News Desk: Rahul Gandhi will launch the Congress election campaign in Punjab today. The party has organised an “Insaaf Rally” in Sangrur, where he is expected to arrive at around 11 am.
At the rally, Gandhi is expected to target the AAP government over drug abuse, the deteriorating law-and-order situation and unemployment. The BJP is also likely to be among his targets.
Sangrur is Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district and is part of Punjab’s Malwa region. The region has 69 of the state’s 117 Assembly seats, making it politically important. The Congress has chosen Sangrur for Gandhi’s rally for this reason.
After the rally, Gandhi is scheduled to meet the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota. A chemist allegedly shot and killed Jhota after he opposed drug sales. However, Jhota’s father has declined to meet Gandhi.
The visit is being seen as a boost for the Congress ahead of preparations for the Assembly elections, as the party continues to face internal factionalism.
Why is Rahul Gandhi holding rally in Sangrur ?
Raising the drug issue through the Gulzar case: The Congress has named the event an “Insaaf Rally”. It plans to raise the case of Gulzar Singh, who died by suicide in Dirba, Sangrur, and target the AAP government and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema.
Sangrur is an AAP stronghold: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, state party president Aman Arora, and ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Barinder Kumar Goyal are connected to Sangrur district. The Congress hopes to use the rally to target the AAP government.
Malwa’s political importance: The 69 Assembly seats in Malwa play a major role in determining who forms the government in Punjab. The Congress won only two seats in the region in 2022. By launching its campaign from Sangrur, Gandhi is expected to try to rebuild the party’s support there.
Targeting the Chief Minister directly: Gandhi may raise issues including drug abuse, unemployment, industries moving out of Punjab and unfulfilled promises to criticise Bhagwant Mann. Since Sangrur is Mann’s home district, the Congress hopes to send a political message across the state from there.
Why Rahul Gandhi is visiting Punjab
Launching the 2027 election campaign: Political experts say Rahul Gandhi’s visit marks the formal start of the Congress campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Targeting the government over drugs and law and order: Political expert Pramod Batish says Gandhi will criticise the AAP government over the drug crisis and worsening law-and-order situation. A meeting with Jhota’s family is also expected to signal the Congress’s support for the fight against drugs.
Bringing divided Congress factions together: Batish says leaders from different Congress groups may share the stage at Gandhi’s rally. The bigger challenge, however, will be keeping the party united until the election.
Strengthening the party’s position in Malwa: Venkat says Gandhi will use the Sangrur rally to rebuild Congress support in the Malwa region. The visit is also seen as a strategic move following Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s rallies in Doaba.