Ahead of Rahul’s Haryana visit, Cong holds MLAs’ meeting

Riding on the wave of protests by farmers against the new agriculture-related laws, the Congress on Sunday scrambled to put its house to ensure a united show of strength ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Haryana on October 6 and called a meeting of party MLAs and others from the state.

Rahul’s visit to the northern state will come after he concludes his ‘tractor rally’ across Punjab.

The meeting, which was going on at the Congress war room at 15, GRG Road, was attended by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state unit chief Kumari Selja and state affairs incharge Vivek Bansal among others.

Interestingly, Hooda was one of the signatories to a letter penned by party leaders to the Congress chief to demand sweeping reforms within the party.

Rahul Gandhi is slated to kick-start the Congress ‘tractor rally’ from Punjab on Sunday at Badhni Kalan town in Moga district and also address a public rally in Ludhiana.

The party must be keeping a close watch since the Haryana Government has made it clear that the tractor rally would not be allowed entry in the state, due to which the Haryana Congress is gearing up for a massive agitation in such a scenario.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has already directed party-ruled states to explore the possibilities to pass laws in their respective states under Article 254 (2) of the Constitution, which allows the state legislatures to pass laws to override central laws that then go for President’s assent.

Congress MP TN Prathapan has already moved the Supreme Court on the issue.

In September, Parliament had passed The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. After President’s assent and publication in the official gazette, these have since become laws.