The Congress party launched its 2027 Punjab Assembly election campaign with a major rally in Sangrur, where Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge targeted the AAP government over the drug menace, governance failures, and lack of employment while showcasing party unity.

The Congress party launched its 2027 Punjab Assembly election campaign with a major rally in Sangrur, where Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge targeted the AAP government over the drug menace, governance failures, and lack of employment while showcasing party unity.

The Congress party launched its 2027 Punjab Assembly election campaign with a major rally in Sangrur, where Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge targeted the AAP government over the drug menace, governance failures, and lack of employment while showcasing party unity.

The Congress has chosen Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's home district to open its campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, taking the fight to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Malwa region that powered its victory in 2022. At an 'Insaaf Rally' in Fagguwala village in Sangrur on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi targeted the Mann government over drugs, gangster violence and governance, while also turning his attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Making drugs the central issue of his speech, Gandhi questioned AAP's promise to make Punjab drug-free. "Punjab trusted Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party. What was their promise? That they would eradicate drug abuse. From which part of Punjab have they managed to eliminate the drug menace?" he asked.

He then turned his attack on Mann personally, recalling their days together in the Lok Sabha. Gandhi alleged that Mann would sit with Congress MPs and crack jokes in the morning, but then breath would also smell of alcohol. While consuming alcohol was Mann's personal choice, Gandhi said, a Chief Minister who wanted to fight drug abuse could not himself be under the influence of intoxicants every evening.

Gandhi also accused AAP of running Punjab through a remote control from Delhi, in a reference to party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Punjab needed a government that worked for the state, he said, questioning whether AAP had fulfilled its promises on minimum support price (MSP), financial assistance to women and drug eradication.

The Congress leader argued that the drug problem was linked to the state's economic condition. Without reviving agriculture and industry and creating employment opportunities, Punjab would find it difficult to tackle drugs and gangsterism, he said. The state needed more factories and jobs for its youth, he added.

Gandhi also brought up the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, inviting his father onto the stage. Recalling his first meeting with the singer before he joined the Congress, Gandhi said he had found him talented and energetic but felt that he was "entering a dangerous field". He said he wanted to provide him with political protection. Gandhi alleged that Moose Wala was killed after his security cover was withdrawn.

From the AAP government, Gandhi turned to the BJP-led Centre, questioning its record on drug trafficking. Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that drugs would be eradicated within three years, he said, "In three years, Amit Shah may not even be the Home Minister." He added, "My assessment is that the government itself will fall within a year."

Gandhi asked what action the Centre had taken after large quantities of drugs were seized at a port in Gujarat. He accused Shah of sheltering gangsters in prisons and said the Home Minister should explain the situation in Manipur before speaking about law and order. He also challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to debate him on the charge that Congress leaders were anti-national, saying Modi could choose the venue and the judge.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, used the rally to spell out the party's promises for Punjab. He listed six commitments: a drug-free state, an end to gangster rule, protection of farmers' rights, employment for young people, empowerment of Dalits and weaker sections, and action against corruption and misgovernance.

"Punjab's future will be decided by its people and not by the man from Delhi," Kharge said. He also described AAP as the BJP's B-team, accusing it of damaging the Congress's electoral prospects in Gujarat and Goa by entering the contest. He alleged that AAP was weakening democratic politics.

The rally also brought together senior Congress leaders after months of internal differences. The presence of Gandhi, Kharge, newly appointed state in-charge Sachin Pilot, new state president Pargat Singh, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and leader of Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa was intended to project unity ahead of the elections. It was also a major test for Pilot and Pargat Singh as they take charge of the party's preparations for 2027.

The choice of Sangrur reflects the Congress's attempt to regain ground in Malwa, which accounts for 69 of Punjab's 117 Assembly seats. The other two regions of the state: Majha has 25 seats and Doaba 23. Malwa has traditionally played a major role in determining the state's political direction. Mann also belongs to the region, and Sangrur is his home district.

The Congress's performance in Malwa fell sharply between the last two Assembly elections. It won 40 of the region's 69 seats in 2017 but was reduced to two in 2022, while AAP won 66. The Congress was also weakened by internal differences, including the conflict between then Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu, and the exit of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

By starting its campaign in Malwa, the Congress is seeking to challenge AAP in the region that contributed most to its rise in Punjab. The rally suggests that drugs, gangster violence and the Mann government's record will be central to the Congress's campaign.

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