SANGRUR, Oct 26: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will officially sound the campaign bugle for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections on November 4 from Sangrur, the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The visit carries deep political and symbolic weight for the Congress party. By launching its campaign from Mann’s home turf—a region neighboring Mansa, where anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was recently killed—the party aims to put the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the defensive regarding Punjab’s drug crisis. Party insiders indicated that Gandhi may also visit Jhota’s grieving family during his trip.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Pargat Singh noted that the politically crucial Malwa belt will serve as the springboard for raising pressing public issues during Gandhi’s visit. Congress leaders added that state affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot has recently sharpened the party’s focus on the state’s drug menace following a five-day public safety campaign.
“Rahul Gandhi will set the tone for the party’s campaign and agenda on subjects that are expected to dominate the elections,” a senior Congress leader stated. Internal surveys by the Congress high command have pinpointed synthetic drug abuse as a primary concern among voters statewide.
