Chennai, Sep 23 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Tamil Nadu in the first week of October for an interaction with college students under the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, according to plans discussed by state Congress leaders.
The visit forms part of Gandhi’s outreach to students as the Congress begins preparing for the 2029 Lok Sabha election. The programme is intended to give college students an opportunity to speak directly with him and raise matters that concern them.
Tamil Nadu Congress president Manickam Tagore is planning a large event for Gandhi’s visit. A meeting at the party’s headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai, discussed the proposed programme.
Tagore chaired the meeting attended by Congress leaders. They decided to organise the student discussion during the first week of October, though the party has yet to announce the date or venue. The colleges that will take part have also not been identified publicly.
The state Congress will have to work out how students are selected, the number who can attend and the format of the discussion.
Details of Gandhi’s wider itinerary in Tamil Nadu have not been released, and it is unclear whether he will address any other gatherings during the visit.
The Chhatron Ki Goonj programme is centred on conversations with students in different states.
The planned Tamil Nadu event would bring that outreach to college campuses in a state where the Congress is seeking to strengthen its engagement with young people ahead of the next parliamentary election.
No agenda for the Chennai interaction has been announced so far. That leaves open which subjects students may raise and how much of the event will be devoted to their questions.
Congress leaders are expected to provide further information once the programme’s arrangements are finalised. The meeting at Sathyamurthy Bhavan marks an initial step in organising the visit. State party leaders will now coordinate the venue, student participation and other arrangements before releasing a formal schedule.
For Congress, the event offers a chance to hear from students as it shapes its political outreach for 2029. For those taking part, it would provide an opportunity to put their views to the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition. Further details, including the date and location, are expected from the party in the coming days.
–IANS
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