Congress holds key CWC meeting on MGNREGA repeal, 2026 state polls

Top leaders of the Congress on Saturday (December 27) attended a crucial meeting of the party's working committee, its highest decision-making body, to deliberate both on the prevailing political situation in the country and the party's future course of action against the Narendra Modi government after the latter decided to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act/Scheme (MGNREGA/S) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB- G RAM G).

Also Read: MGNREGA row: At CWC meet, Kharge calls for 'nationwide movement' against Modi govt

The extended meeting, which was held on the eve of Congress's 140th anniversary, was attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and former party president Rahul Gandhi, as well as the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states, including Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh.

Presidents of Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) were also present at the meeting.

Talks on 2026 state polls

The meeting also comes ahead of a series of Assembly elections lined up in 2026 in states such as Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The party expected to deliberate on its strategy in these states, none of which it rules.

Also Read: Politically vocal but electorally outfoxed — what 2025 has been like for India's Opposition parties

As one of its major objectives in the meeting, the principal Opposition party at the Centre is set to finalise its action plan to counter the National Democratic Alliance government after it repealed the two-decade-old MGNREGA.

Opposition to VB-G RAM G Bill

The new VB- G RAM G Bill was passed during the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament. President Droupadi Murmu has already given her assent to it.

The Congress and other Opposition parties have taken strong exception to the new law, stating that it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, as his name has been removed from its title. Speaking at the meeting, Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said a nationwide campaign was the need of the hour against annulling the MGNREGS. He cited the three farm laws that the Modi government was forced to repeal in 2021 after facing a massive protest.

Also Read: VB-G RAM G Bill | Modi govt bulldozed MGNREGA, says Sonia Gandhi

The new law makes a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.

However, despite being a central scheme, the new law provides that the Centre and the states will have to share a 60:40 per cent ratio of funding for the scheme (from 90:10 under the MGNREGS).

(With agency inputs)