'Win Punjab, win all of India': Kharge launches Congress campaign with Insaaf Rally, targets AAP govt

Sangrur: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called for party unity, saying a victory in Punjab would pave the way for the party's success across the country, as he launched the Congress' political campaign in the state with the 'Insaaf Rally' in Sangrur ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Addressing party workers at the rally, Kharge urged Congress leaders and cadres to work together to win Punjab, while launching a sharp attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over alleged drug abuse and corruption.

The rally marks the beginning of the Congress' political outreach in Punjab, with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also taking part. The party is seeking to strengthen its position in the state ahead of the next Assembly election.
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Kharge targets Bhagwant Mann government over drugs, corruption

Kharge accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of failing to address drug abuse and corruption in Punjab, alleging that its policies were damaging the lives of young people and farmers.

"Beyond the issue of 'stolen' votes, this (state) government is truly abysmal, which is defined by drug abuse and corruption. It is a government that destroys the lives of our children and ruins the lives of our farmers," he said.

The Congress president also alleged that public money was being transferred from Punjab to Delhi and accused the AAP of acting as the BJP's "B-team".

"The Punjab government is a government of drugs and corruption. I have not seen such a corrupt government in my 60 years of public life. Money is being sent from here to Delhi," he alleged.

He further accused the AAP of interfering in states where the Congress was making electoral gains, including Gujarat and Goa.
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Kharge raises vote theft issue, attacks BJP and RSS

At the Insaaf Rally, Kharge also targeted the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of weakening democratic institutions and stressing the importance of protecting voting rights.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi's campaign against alleged vote theft, Kharge said that a government formed through stolen votes could not claim democratic legitimacy.

"Without the right to vote, you are powerless. Bhagwant Mann, who sits here today, holds his position only because the people of Punjab cast their votes. If your vote is taken away, you are left with no rights at all," he said.

Kharge also referred to Rahul Gandhi's recent rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where the Congress leader raised allegations of vote theft and called for action against electoral irregularities.

Congress leader and Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot had described the Insaaf Rally as the beginning of a "new ray of hope" for the state while welcoming Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to Punjab.

The Congress is seeking to use the rally to present its political roadmap for Punjab and mobilise party workers ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.