Barnala: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will address the ‘Save MNREGA Sangram’ and ‘Farmers and Laborers Rally’ in Barnala, Punjab, on Saturday, February 28th.
The rally will be held at the grain market and is being seen as a strong start to the Punjab Congress’s campaign for the 2027 assembly elections. The rally is generating excitement throughout the Malwa region, but ongoing factionalism within the party has also fueled heated discussions.
Preparations have been underway since last week, and a large pandal and stage have been erected in Barnala’s grain market. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring visited Barnala to inspect it. Rahul Gandhi will speak on the changes made by the central government to MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and the India-US trade agreement. The party is calling these decisions detrimental to the farmers and laborers of Punjab.
At the rally, Rahul Gandhi will also interact directly with MNREGA workers and listen to their problems. The party has described this as an opportunity to fight for the rights of farmers and laborers. Rahul has previously supported farmers’ protests in Punjab, and this time too, he will target the AAP government and the central BJP government.
He stated that MNREGA is a lifeline for the poor and that by ending it, the Modi government has committed a grave betrayal against them. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are participating in the rally. Rahul Gandhi is expected to arrive in Barnala around 11:00 am today.
Thousands of people are expected to arrive in buses from Barnala, Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, and surrounding districts. Party leaders have anticipated a crowd of over 50,000. By choosing Barnala as the venue, the Congress has adopted a strategy to strengthen its hold in the Malwa region and corner the AAP government.
The party also released a poster depicting Rahul Gandhi as a MNREGA worker before the rally. This has heightened the political heat in Punjab and triggered counter-attacks from opposition parties.
Amidst all this, the ongoing factionalism within the Punjab Congress is also in the news. The Sidhu couple has already placed the party in a difficult position, while the infighting between leaders like former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa, and Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring is also not hidden from anyone.
The impact of factionalism on the rally cannot be ignored. Many senior leaders are saying that Rahul Gandhi’s visit is an attempt to unite the party, but it will be interesting to see who attends the rally and which leader tries to portray themselves as closest to Rahul Gandhi on stage.
To ensure smooth and safe traffic flow during the Congress Party rally at Dana Mandi, Barnala, the Barnala Police have made special traffic arrangements. Diverted routes have been established for vehicles coming from different directions to avoid inconvenience to the public. Everyone is urged to stick to the designated route and follow traffic instructions.
A number, 98154-75664, has also been issued for regular traffic information. Other parties are similarly raising the election heat. The BJP has intensified its campaign in Punjab, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a “Badla Rally” in Moga on March 14.
The rally will be held in Killi Chahal village, the same place where the AAP launched its 2027 campaign. The BJP has timed the rally to mark the completion of four years of the AAP government (March 16) and is using it as an opportunity to sound the bugle for the 2027 elections. Leaders like Ashwani Sharma have said that every section of Punjab is disappointed and is looking at BJP as an alternative.
