New Delhi, 27 December (H.S.): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired a high-stakes meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Indira Bhawan on Saturday, drawing top party leaders to deliberate critical national issues and future electoral strategies.
Attendees included Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, general secretary K.C. Venugopal, senior leader Harish Rawat, former MP Salman Khurshid, and MPs Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajeev Shukla, and Shashi Tharoor—despite his recent comments diverging from party lines.
The agenda focused on mounting a nationwide agitation against the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB G-RAM-G Act, which replaced the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during Parliament's Winter Session, prompting accusations of legacy erosion.
Discussions also covered the ongoing National Herald case, environmental concerns in the Aravalli region, allegations of vote theft in recent Bihar elections, and preparations for 2026 Assembly polls in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
Harish Rawat termed the session very important, slamming the MGNREGA name change as completely unacceptable, while M. Veerappa Moily highlighted deliberations on key national matters.
Karnataka Congress members, including CWC representatives B.K. Hariprasad, Nasir Hussain, and Veerappa Moily, joined amid speculation over state leadership shifts. Outside the venue, around a dozen Dalit protesters gathered, raising slogans and displaying posters demanding Home Minister G. Parameshwara's elevation to Chief Minister to promote Dalit representation—no accidents or disruptions occurred during the demonstration.
Pradesh Congress Committee presidents rounded out the extended gathering, signaling a unified push against the government ahead of the party's 140th anniversary.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
