The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to address as many as 28 student interaction programmes under the Congress’ ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ campaign as the party seeks to build a sustained outreach among Gen Z youth, students, and young voters ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

The programme, which began as an initiative to engage directly with students and young people, is now being positioned by the Congress as one of its major organisational and political outreach exercises.

Scaling up

At its meeting on August 19, the Congress Working Committee approved a plan to expand Chhatron Ki Goonj to as many as 800 cities over the next few months, reflecting the party’s attempt to turn what began as a series of student interactions into a nationwide youth outreach programme.

Sources told The Hindu that Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal has instructed party leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who oversees the functioning of the party’s frontal organisations, including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), to immediately scale up the campaign to 100 cities by appointing coordinators.

While senior Congress leaders will address some of the proposed interactions, Mr. Gandhi is expected to cover 28 cities identified for the first phase of the expansion. The proposed programme will take Mr. Gandhi to campuses and cities beyond the party’s traditional political engagements, allowing him to directly engage with students and young people.

So far, Mr. Gandhi has addressed student programmes in Kota, Prayagraj, Dehradun and Pune. Another interaction is scheduled in Indore in the coming days.

As per sources, Mr. Gandhi is expected to address at least one major city in every State over the next few months. “In the Northeast, he will probably go to Guwahati; in Bihar, Patna and Purnea; and in Jharkhand, he will address students in Ranchi,” said the party insider familiar with the programme.

To win young voters

The campaign assumes significance as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensify their efforts to retain or win over young and first-time voters. Since 2013, the BJP has built a formidable youth outreach architecture through its organisational network and extensive digital presence, while the Congress has been a latecomer.

Now, with growing concerns over issues such as unemployment, education, competitive examinations, economic opportunities and political representation for young people, the Congress is seeking to pitch Mr. Gandhi as someone representing young voices. 

For the Congress, the challenge is to convert the student interactions into an enduring political network and, eventually, electoral support for 2029.