Chandigarh
 
Punjab Congress has set a target of bringing 50,000 people to the November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan and one lakh to Rahul Gandhi’s November 4 ‘Hisab Maango’ rally in Sangrur, which will formally launch the party’s campaign for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
 
The Delhi rally, organized under the slogans ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ and ‘Chalo Delhi’, will focus on Opposition allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The Congress and its INDIA bloc allies allege that voters’ names have been wrongly deleted and are demanding accountability, including the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
 
Under the regional plan, Malwa has been assigned a target of 28,000 to 30,000 people, Majha 10,000 to 12,000 and Doaba 8,000 to 10,000..
 
Malwa’s listed districts include Bathinda, Barnala, Patiala, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Mansa. Majha’s mobilization covers Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran. In Doaba, the identified districts are Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr). The strategy also emphasizes involving young workers and block-level leaders from the NRI belt.
 
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has directed party MPs to remain in Delhi from October 30 to November 1. Rahul Gandhi and other senior INDIA bloc leaders are expected to attend the rally. The Congress expects a large turnout, with Haryana expected to send around one lakh people and Jammu and Kashmir approximately 5,000 workers.
 
The focus will shift to Sangrur on November 4, when Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a rally targeting one lakh attendees. The event will formally launch the Congress’s campaign for the 2027 Assembly elections.
 
Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, gives the rally political significance. The Malwa region accounts for 69 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies, making it a crucial electoral battleground.
 
The Congress plans further rallies and roadshows by Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders across Punjab’s zones. It is expected to target the AAP Government over law and order, drugs, unemployment and farmers’ concerns as it seeks to return to power.