Congress Mobilizes Statewide Campaign to Counter Alleged Federal Erosion of Rural Employment Guarantees

In a strategic political maneuver coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the Congress party has initiated a comprehensive statewide yatra across Andhra Pradesh. The campaign, spearheaded by Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee President Y.S. Sharmila, directly challenges the central government's recently introduced 'VB Gram G' initiative, which opposition leaders claim systematically undermines the legally binding employment protections enshrined in MNREGA. This development represents a significant escalation in the ongoing political discourse surrounding rural welfare policy, with Congress positioning itself as the primary defender of job security for millions of vulnerable agricultural and manual laborers. The party's mobilization frames the issue not merely as administrative disagreement but as a fundamental threat to statutory rights, potentially setting the stage for broader confrontations over federal-state authority in social welfare implementation. Analysts note the timing leverages symbolic resonance while addressing substantive concerns about policy continuity and the preservation of anti-poverty safeguards in one of India's key agrarian states.