SANGRUR : The Congress stepped up its preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections with a major show of political strength at its ‘Insaaf Rally’ in Phaguwala village, Sangrur, where Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp offensive against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government. The rally marked the party’s attempt to position Punjab’s pressing concerns at the centre of its emerging election campaign, with particular emphasis on the drug crisis, gangster violence, law and order, unemployment, farmers’ difficulties and the state’s economic condition. Rahul Gandhi questioned the AAP government’s claims of tackling drugs and alleged that Punjab was not being governed independently from Chandigarh, but was effectively under the influence of political leadership outside the state. In a pointed political attack, he suggested that the government’s direction was being controlled by leaders in Delhi, naming Union Home Minister Amit Shah and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in his remarks. Gandhi also raised concerns over gangsterism and the continuing drug problem, arguing that the situation demanded accountability rather than political assurances. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also targeted the ruling party, describing AAP as the BJP’s ‘B Team’ and accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises to Punjab. Both leaders sought to portray the Congress as an alternative capable of addressing the state’s governance and public-safety concerns. The rally also carried a strong social and political message, with Rahul Gandhi and Kharge meeting families affected by drug-related violence and assuring them of the party’s support in their pursuit of justice. Their interaction with the families brought the issue of narcotics and its human consequences into sharper focus, an issue that Congress leaders have increasingly sought to make central to their campaign. The choice of Sangrur was politically significant. Located in the Malwa belt and known as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, the region carries considerable electoral weight, accounting for 69 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies. Congress leaders see the Malwa region as crucial to their prospects in the next Assembly election and intend to build their campaign around issues that directly affect rural and urban voters. Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh and senior leaders had been supervising preparations for the rally, while Vijay Inder Singla, chairperson of the party’s Election Management and Coordination Committee, described the event as an opportunity to present a united state leadership and raise the demand for accountable governance. The gathering was projected as the beginning of the party’s ‘Mission 2027’ campaign, with Congress seeking to mobilise its cadre and reconnect with voters across the state. The political contest is likely to intensify as AAP defends its record in government and Congress attempts to turn public concerns over drugs, security, employment and agriculture into a wider electoral challenge. The Sangrur rally therefore served not merely as a public gathering but as a clear indication that the battle for Punjab’s 2027 mandate is beginning to take shape, with the Congress placing the question of governance and justice at the centre of its political pitch.