Congress to contest 2027 Punjab polls under joint party leadership: Bhupesh Baghel

Bathinda, Jan 11 (PTI) AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said the Congress will contest the 2027 state polls under the collective leadership of the party.

Addressing a press conference here, Baghel said all senior leaders of the party are chief ministerial faces.

He was accompanied by Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress Legislative Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa and other leaders.

Baghel said that except for the 2017 Punjab elections, when Amarinder Singh was declared the chief ministerial candidate, the Congress has always fought elections under joint leadership.

The final decision on the chief ministerial candidate would be taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, he said.

Baghel was in Punjab on the final leg of the first phase of the Congress' 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram', a mass outreach programme against the Union government's move to replace MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajiveeka Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act.

The former Chhattisgarh chief minister said the programme received strong public support, including from Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bent on destroying the rural economy. MGNREGA was a rights-based law brought by the Congress to ensure 100 days of employment for rural labourers, and scrapping it would snatch their right to work, Baghel charged.

Referring to the Centre-state funding ratio, he claimed that several states were unable to implement central schemes due to lack of funds.

He asked how could states like Punjab contribute 40 per cent under the VB-G RAM G Act when they were struggling even with smaller contributions.

He further claimed that Punjab was nearing bankruptcy, with its debt crossing Rs 4 lakh crore. The AAP government has failed to open new schools, colleges or hospitals in the past four years, he charged.

Existing health facilities were renamed as Aam Aadmi Clinics, which had also "failed", he added.

Funds meant for labourers were being diverted to benefit a few industrialists, the Congress general secretary alleged.

Rejecting the BJP's allegations of corruption in MGNREGA, Baghel asked why no action was taken during the past 11 years.

He also expressed concern over the law and order situation in Punjab, alleging that it has witnessed a complete breakdown.

There have been nine murders in the state in the first 10 days of the New Year, he claimed. PTI VSD DIV DIV