Congress to press MGNREGA, SIR, foreign policy concerns in Budget session; Opposition to meet

The replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, additional tarriffs over the purchase of Russian crude, and other key economic and foreign policy issues will be taken up by the Congress in the first part of the Budget session of Parliament.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary strategy group, held at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) evening.

The Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively, were among those present. Other party leaders who attended the meeting included Pramod Tiwari, Manickam Tagore, Jairam Ramesh, P. Chidambaram, Tariq Anwar, Rajni Patil, Manish Tewari, K. Suresh, and Syed Naseer Hussain.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor could not attend as he was returning from Dubai, and a source claimed he had informed the party in advance.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Whip Naseer Hussain said leaders of Opposition parties would meet in Mr. Kharge’s chamber in Parliament House on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) at 10 a.m. to work out a joint strategy for the session.

The meeting, convened on the eve of the Budget session, discussed key issues to be taken up during the first phase of the session, Mr. Hussain said.

“The biggest issue that has emerged is that of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). We held a detailed discussion and will raise it during the first part of the Budget session. Alongside, the issue of SIR would also be raised. Several members raised the issue based on ground reports, and how the BJP has created confusion and havoc on the SIR issue,” he added.

Environmental concerns, including the redefinition of the Aravalli hills and the Great Nicobar project, would also be flagged, Mr. Hussain said. The Congress leader also said that his party would raise the demand for restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, besides issues relating to contaminated water in Indore and Ahmedabad, and the deaths reportedly linked to them.

Describing foreign policy as the “most important issue before the country”, Mr. Hussain said the U.S. was “threatening” India over the purchase of Russian oil, and imposing tariffs. “There is a deviation in the country’s foreign policy and the issue would be raised in Parliament as the country’s economy is being hurt due to this,” he said.

The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 28. The first phase will conclude on February 13, while the second phase will run from March 9 to April 2.