Rahul Gandhi’s Letter to PM Urges Payment of MNREGA Dues, Seen as Overture to Trinamool

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the senior Congress leader, who recently toured Bengal during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, highlighted concerns about the delay in releasing central funds for the UPA government’s welfare programme. He mentioned that funds for the programme have been on hold since March 2022, echoing the claims made by the Mamata Banerjee government. The letter stated that many workers have not been paid for work completed in 2021 due to a shortfall in funds. Additionally, it highlighted a drastic decline in the number of households availing work under the programme, impacting vulnerable groups such as women and SC & ST households.

The lack of MGNREGS work and pending wages has led to distress migration for many individuals. The letter from Mr. Gandhi, which supports Ms. Banerjee, comes amid a disagreement between them over the sharing of Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. Congress declined the two seats offered by Ms. Banerjee and she desired more, leading to a series of strong comments from her. She even expressed a willingness to consider joining the INDIA bloc after the election, depending on the outcome.

Ms. Banerjee questioned the Congress’s performance in recent elections and in Bengal, predicting a slip in the party’s seat count to 40, much to the joy of the BJP camp. Nonetheless, the Congress remains steadfast in reiterating its commitment to seat sharing with Ms. Banerjee.