New Delhi, 03 January (H.S.): The Congress party unveiled a comprehensive three-phase nationwide campaign titled MGNREGA Bachao Sangram on Saturday, set to commence on January 8 and span until February 25, aiming to compel the withdrawal of the Centre's newly enacted Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act.

Congress General Secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh announced the initiative at a press conference in New Delhi, accusing the BJP-led government of arbitrarily centralizing the demand-driven Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and undermining workers' rights, Panchayati Raj institutions, and Mahatma Gandhi's legacy.

Campaign Objectives and Rationale

The agitation seeks to restore MGNREGA in its original rights-based form, emphasizing the right to work, timely wages, and gram sabha autonomy, while protecting vulnerable groups including women, Dalits, Adivasis, and rural poor.

Ramesh vowed legal challenges in court, branding the VB-G RAM G Act a shift from entitlement to government-controlled doles, enacted without consulting states, panchayats, or stakeholders.

Venugopal framed it as a mass movement to expose the government's assault on rural livelihoods, echoing Rahul Gandhi's prediction of a reversal akin to the farm laws.

Detailed Three-Phase Rollout

Phase 1 (January 8-11): Preparatory meetings at Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) offices on January 8 with AICC in-charges; district-level press conferences at District Congress Committee (DCC) offices on January 10; and one-day fasts on January 11 at district headquarters near statues of Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar.

Phase 2 (January 12-30): Panchayat-level chaupals across all gram panchayats delivering letters from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge; Vidhan Sabha-level nukkad sabhas and pamphlet distribution; culminating in peaceful ward-level sit-ins on Martyr’s Day (January 30) with MGNREGA workers.

Phase 3 (January 31-February 25): District-level dharnas at District Collector/DM offices until February 6; state-level gheraos of Vidhan Sabha buildings from February 7-15; and four zonal AICC rallies between February 16-25.

Outreach to Allies and Historical Context

Venugopal extended invitations to opposition parties, noting prior parliamentary unity against the new law, while committing Congress to lead the charge. The campaign builds on a December 2025 Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution post-winter session, where Kharge pledged street and parliamentary struggles under slogans Jai Samvidhan and Jai Hind.

Congress credits UPA-era MGNREGA—enacted under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh—for saving rural lives during COVID-19, transforming constitutional directives into enforceable rights.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar