The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set for a direct political confrontation over rural employment policy ahead of upcoming assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory.

On Saturday, the Congress announced a 45-day nationwide agitation titled “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram”, aimed at pressuring the Centre to restore the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been replaced by the VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) Act.

Congress: “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram”

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and party communication chief Jairam Ramesh said the agitation will be rolled out in three phases, starting January 8, 2026, across states, districts, blocks, and gram panchayats.

Ramesh described the repeal of MGNREGA as a threat to rural livelihoods, calling the new law a “recipe for dangerous centralisation” that would weaken state finances and reduce the bargaining power of rural daily wage earners. He said the Congress would also challenge the VB-G RAM G Act in court.

Venugopal added that the party plans to coordinate with opposition-ruled states to turn the protest into a broader, united campaign against the Centre’s rural employment policy.

BJP: Outreach to Counter “False Narrative”

The BJP, meanwhile, has launched an intensive outreach programme to defend the VB-G RAM G Act and counter opposition criticism.

Party president JP Nadda, working president Nitin Nabin, and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan have begun holding online briefing sessions with chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, state unit heads, legislators, and party office bearers. The aim is to ensure uniform messaging on the new law at the grassroots level.

The VB-G RAM G Bill, introduced during the winter session of Parliament, became law after receiving President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on December 21.

A senior BJP functionary said the party is confident the outreach will blunt opposition attacks. “The Opposition is spreading misinformation about guaranteed employment. Our cadre has been asked to explain how the revamped scheme focuses on water conservation, core infrastructure, livelihoods, and climate-related works,” he said.

Political Stakes

With assembly elections approaching, both parties see rural employment as a decisive voter issue. While the Congress is framing the repeal of MGNREGA as an erosion of the right to work, the BJP is positioning VB-G RAM G as a restructured, development-oriented alternative.

The coming weeks are likely to see intensified political mobilisation in rural India, as protests, outreach programmes, and legal challenges unfold simultaneously.