Congress launches nationwide “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” campaign, unveiling protests, gram sabha resolutions, and grassroots outreach to oppose alleged dilution of the rural employment guarantee law and mobilise nationwide support.
The Indian National Congress has finalised a comprehensive nationwide campaign titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram”, aimed at resisting what the party describes as the systematic weakening of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) through recent legislative and administrative changes.
According to senior party sources, the campaign will roll out in a phased manner across the country, combining public outreach, grassroots mobilisation, formal resolutions, and sustained protests to highlight concerns over rural employment security and social welfare.
The action plan was finalised at a meeting of the Congress Coordination Committee on January 5, which is tasked with monitoring and executing the campaign at national, state, district, and panchayat levels. Following the meeting, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) circulated four key documents to its General Secretaries, state in-charges, and secretaries with instructions to ensure immediate dissemination to Pradesh Congress Committees, District Congress Committees, and Block Congress Committees by January 8.
Pamphlets, Protests, and Grassroots Outreach
One of the central documents is a one-page pamphlet outlining the Congress’s position on MGNREGA and the alleged dilution of its original guarantees. State and district units have been directed to translate the pamphlet into local languages and print it in large numbers for mass distribution.
These pamphlets will form a key part of public outreach during district-level press conferences scheduled for January 10, followed by statewide dharnas on January 11. The campaign will then move deeper into rural areas through panchayat-level chaupals between January 12 and January 29, where party workers will directly engage with villagers and MGNREGA beneficiaries.
Congress leaders believe this decentralised approach will help build public awareness around employment rights, wage delays, reduced workdays, and other issues allegedly arising from recent policy changes.
Resolution in Gram Sabhas on Republic Day
Another major component of the campaign is a draft resolution opposing the changes to MGNREGA. This resolution is to be circulated among block- and panchayat-level Congress functionaries and formally moved for discussion and adoption in gram sabhas across the country on January 26, coinciding with Republic Day.
Party officials say the move is intended to symbolically link constitutional values with the right to employment and social justice, while also exerting grassroots pressure on the central government.
Factsheet and Internal Coordination
To ensure message discipline and factual consistency, the Congress has prepared a detailed factsheet comparing the original provisions of MGNREGA with the current legal and administrative framework. The factsheet includes talking points for party workers and leaders, highlighting differences in job guarantees, payment mechanisms, funding patterns, and implementation processes.
Additionally, a task list for panchayat-level Congress workers has been issued, detailing daily responsibilities during the January 12–29 campaign period. These include organising village meetings, coordinating with beneficiaries, documenting local issues, and reporting progress to higher units.
Preparatory Meetings and Monitoring Mechanism
All AICC General Secretaries, state in-charges, and secretaries have been directed to attend preparatory meetings at state capitals on January 8. During these meetings, state units are required to finalise translations, printing schedules, protest venues, and district-wise action plans.
The Congress has also emphasised strict monitoring of the campaign through state-level connect centres linked to the National War Room. These centres will track activities at the block and panchayat levels, compile reports, and ensure accountability in implementation.
Political Significance
MGNREGA has long been one of the Congress party’s flagship welfare initiatives, and the leadership views the current campaign as both a policy battle and a political mobilisation effort ahead of upcoming elections. By framing the issue as a fight to “save” MGNREGA, the party aims to consolidate rural support and position itself as a defender of employment rights and social security.
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The coming weeks are expected to see heightened political activity in rural India as the Congress takes its message from state capitals to village squares, making MGNREGA a central issue in the national political discourse.
