Chandigarh:
The choice of Sangrur for Rahul Gandhi’s November 4 ‘Insaaf Rally’ is rooted in the electoral arithmetic of Punjab as much as in the political controversies surrounding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The Congress is beginning its campaign for the 2027 Assembly elections from Malwa, the state’s largest and politically most significant region, which accounts for 69 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies. In other words, nearly 59 per cent of the state’s Assembly seats are concentrated in this belt, making its electoral performance crucial for every party aspiring to form the government.
Punjab’s three major political regions have the following Assembly seat distribution:
Malwa: 69 seats
Majha: 25 seats
Doaba: 23 seats
Total: 117 seats
The numbers explain why Congress has chosen Malwa as the launchpad for its election campaign rather than beginning from another region.
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Malwa: The Region That Shapes Punjab’s Political Power
Malwa has traditionally been regarded as the region that holds the key to the chief minister’s chair. Over the past three decades, Punjab’s chief ministers have largely emerged from this region, reinforcing its political importance.
The region includes major political centres such as Sangrur, Bathinda, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Faridkot, Moga and Ferozepur.
The 2022 Assembly elections further demonstrated Malwa’s importance. AAP won 66 of the region’s 69 seats, playing a decisive role in the party’s landslide victory. Congress, therefore, wants to reclaim political ground in the same region from where AAP had consolidated its power.
For Rahul Gandhi, the Sangrur rally is an attempt to put Malwa at the centre of Congress’s Mission 2027 and mobilise party workers across its constituencies.
Why Sangrur? Drugs, Protests And Questions Over Governance
Apart from its electoral importance, Sangrur has recently emerged as a focal point of protests against the drug menace and allegations of police excesses.
Several controversies have brought the issue into the political spotlight. The death of Gulzar Singh, a resident of Toor Banjara village in Dirba, became a major flashpoint after he had publicly questioned Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the availability of drugs in his village and his son’s addiction.
Opposition parties subsequently raised questions over the circumstances surrounding his death and the treatment of people speaking against drug trafficking.
The controversy also triggered a joint opposition mobilisation, with Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and other organisations joining hands to protest against the alleged targeting of drug-related whistleblowers.
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More recently, protests in Mansa and Sangrur over suspected drug-related deaths, allegations concerning the handling of bodies and demands for accountability have kept the drug issue in the spotlight. The Parvinder Singh Jhota Insaf Committee has also announced a November 5 protest outside the chief minister’s Sangrur house.
Against this backdrop, Congress’s decision to organise an Insaaf Rally in Sangrur allows the party to raise the drug menace, public safety and accountability directly in the chief minister’s home district.
A Test For Pargat Singh And Congress’s Organisational Strength
The rally will also be the first major state-level political event for newly appointed Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh.
Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to address the gathering, with Congress targeting a turnout of one lakh people.
The party is also attempting to project unity among its senior leaders after months of internal differences.
The November 4 gathering will thus combine three important political objectives: reclaiming the 69-seat Malwa region, challenging the Mann government’s record on drugs and law and order, and demonstrating Congress’s organisational preparedness ahead of the 2027 elections.
For Congress, Sangrur is not merely the venue of a rally. It is where the party wants to begin its battle for the region that accounts for the largest share of Punjab’s political power.
