Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held a meeting with senior Punjab Congress leaders at the party headquarters, Indira Bhavan, to discuss preparations for the November 4 ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Sangrur and the party’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal was also present at the meeting, which was attended by Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot, Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla, among others.
Sources said the discussions focused on the proposed rally, which is expected to be attended by Rahul Gandhi and addressed by senior Congress leaders, as well as the party’s preparations to take on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab.
Kharge said Punjab was looking for a decisive political change and accused the AAP government of betraying the people’s trust through unfulfilled promises and poor governance.
“Punjab is yearning for a decisive change and a transformative new beginning. Aam Aadmi Party has betrayed the trust of the people, with its tall promises giving way to failed governance, corruption, drug menace, growing insecurity and shattered aspirations. The Congress Party will leave no stone unturned in restoring Punjab’s pride and glory,” he said.
Venugopal accused the AAP government of presiding over a breakdown of law and order, a growing drug menace and corruption, while leaving the state’s youth and marginalised sections without hope.
“We, the Congress, have always governed Punjab with expertise, composure and honesty. We are confident that the people of Punjab will recognise this and give us a clear majority in the coming elections, rejecting both the AAP and the anti-Punjab BJP in 2027,” he said.
The meeting follows a series of organisational discussions held by Venugopal with Punjab Congress leaders at the party headquarters in Chandigarh days ago. Pilot, Pargat Singh, Warring, Bajwa and Channi, besides MPs, MLAs and District Congress Committee presidents, had attended those meetings.
Venugopal had stressed the need for discipline and unity in the state unit, making it clear that indiscipline and internal sabotage would not be tolerated, irrespective of a leader’s stature.
He had also conveyed that the Congress would contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections under collective leadership and that no individual leader would be allowed to run a separate campaign.
