BENGALURU: The Congress is likely to turn its opposition to the Centre’s VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, into a major political issue in the run-up to the zilla and taluk panchayat polls, as it intensifies a statewide agitation against the legislation that replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA.
As part of this campaign, the Congress has planned a protest in Chikkaballapur on February 23, where thousands of workers and supporters from the neighbouring districts, including Bengaluru Rural and Kolar, are expected to gather. Minister MC Sudhakar and several other leaders are coordinating the mobilisation against the Centre.
Former AICC general secretary MLC BK Hariprasad said, “BJP is seeking to roll back MGNREGA that will benefit the poor, we are agitating against it.’’
Congress MLC Ramesh Babu said nearly 60,000 protesters could take part, making it one of the largest political mobilisations in the region in recent months.
Congress leaders said the Chikkaballapur rally is part of a phased and expanding campaign across the state, pointing to earlier overnight demonstrations in Mysuru and a protest padayatra in Mangaluru as signs of growing momentum.
They emphasised that the agitation is aimed at defending rural employment guarantees and opposing what they describe as a dilution of workers’ rights under the new Act. It may be recalled that both the Assembly and Council had earlier passed an unanimous resolution urging the rollback of the VB-G RAM G Act.