States » NorthPosted at: Oct 26 2026 4:13PM


Congress steps up Punjab poll push, targets 50,000 supporters for Delhi rally

NEERAJ BALI
Chandigarh, Oct 26 (UNI) The Congress has launched a major organisational drive in Punjab, setting a target of mobilising 50,000 supporters for the November 1 rally in New Delhi while preparing to challenge the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on its handling of crime, drug trafficking and governance ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, who held a series of meetings with state party leaders in Chandigarh on Monday, said Punjab was ready for political change and expressed confidence that the party would return to power.
"People of Punjab are looking for a change," Venugopal said, accusing the Bhagwant Mann government of allowing law and order to deteriorate and drug trafficking to flourish.
"Our goal is to win Punjab and save Punjab from all these evils. We are very confident that Congress is going to form the government in Punjab," he asserted.
His visit comes as Congress attempts to rebuild its organisational machinery after losing power to AAP in 2022, when the party suffered a crushing electoral defeat.
The immediate challenge is mobilising supporters for the November 1 protest at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where opposition leaders are expected to press for the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Party sources said Punjab Congress has been assigned a target of bringing approximately 50,000 people to the national capital, making the mobilisation drive an early test of its grassroots organisational strength.
The Congress leadership is also preparing for Rahul Gandhi's proposed November 4 rally in Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. By choosing Sangrur, the party appears to be seeking a direct political confrontation with Mann in a region that could prove decisive in the next Assembly elections.
Punjab's Malwa region accounts for 69 of the state's 117 Assembly constituencies, making it the largest electoral battleground. Congress strategists are placing particular emphasis on rebuilding support across this region while expanding their organisational presence in Majha and Doaba.
Venugopal's consultations with Punjab Congress leaders is focused on district-level mobilisation, coordination among senior functionaries and preparations for the upcoming political programmes.
The exercise is also politically significant for a party that has faced internal divisions and leadership rivalries in Punjab.
The Mann government has made its anti-drug campaign a central part of its governance agenda, but opposition parties continue to question its effectiveness, citing incidents of violent crime and continuing narcotics trafficking.
For Congress, the challenge is not merely to capitalise on criticism of the ruling government but to convince voters that it has rebuilt the leadership, organisation and political credibility needed to return to power.
UNI NB MCR
Tags: #Congress steps up Punjab poll push# targets 50#000 supporters for Delhi rally
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