Congress is accelerating preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s proposed ‘Students Ki Goonj’ programme, scheduled for September 12 at Nehru Stadium in Indore. The party has set a target of mobilising more than 50,000 students and young people for the event. Workers will be assigned responsibilities at the college, coaching institute, block and assembly levels to reach students. The party is also preparing to establish direct contact with students through registration.
Congress is preparing to expand its political outreach among students and young people in Madhya Pradesh. As part of this strategy, the ‘Students Ki Goonj’ programme has been proposed at Nehru Stadium in Indore on September 12. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will attend the programme. Congress has set a target of bringing together more than 50,000 students and young people.
The party claims that the event will be the largest student-youth programme held in Indore so far. A meeting to discuss preparations for the programme was also held on Saturday at the residence of Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari. The plan is to have only students on the stage alongside Rahul Gandhi. No Congress leader will be given a place on the stage.
Indore is a major education centre in Madhya Pradesh, with a large number of college students as well as young people preparing for competitive examinations. Congress is seeking to strengthen its outreach among these students and young people.
The party plans to conduct small-scale outreach campaigns at colleges and coaching institutes. Workers will inform students about the programme and connect them to the event through registration. The registration process is expected to begin in the coming days.
City Congress president Chintu Chouksey said young people from different parts of the state will participate in the programme. Responsibilities are being assigned to party workers at the organisational level for this purpose.
The campaign will involve the Pradesh Congress as well as local party organisations. Workers from the block to assembly level will directly contact students. Under the party’s strategy, students contacted through the campaign will be encouraged to bring other students from their colleges and friend groups to the programme. The party will seek to reach a larger number of young people through students.
Congress is preparing to begin registration within the next one to two days. The registration process will also be used to compile data on students participating in the programme.
The party plans to use the event not only as a programme for mobilising people but also as a broader youth outreach campaign. Its strategy includes reaching college campuses and coaching centres before the event and maintaining contact with students subsequently.
The ‘Students Ki Goonj’ initiative is focusing on several issues concerning students, including paper leaks, irregularities in competitive examinations, expensive education, unemployment, recruitment processes and employment.
According to Congress, the objective of the initiative is to bring students’ problems and suggestions into focus. In June, as part of the campaign, students were also urged to share their problems and suggestions and participate in a signature campaign.
Under the ‘Students Ki Goonj’ initiative, Rahul Gandhi has previously participated in programmes involving students in Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune. Indore is now being positioned as the next major stop in the campaign.
Congress also considers Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Indore politically significant. About eight months ago, Rahul Gandhi had visited Indore to meet the families of people who died in the Bhagirathpura contaminated water case. This time, the party is seeking to use his visit to increase its direct outreach among young voters in the city and the Malwa region.
Congress is also preparing to have a musical group perform at the programme as part of its preparations for the youth-focused event. There is a possibility that a prominent singer or musical group will be invited. A final decision on the artist or group is expected to be taken at the Delhi level.
All nine assembly constituencies in Indore district currently have BJP MLAs, while Congress has no MLA from the district. Congress therefore faces a challenge in strengthening its political position in Indore. The party is seeking to address this challenge by increasing its activity among young people and new voters. The ‘Students Ki Goonj’ programme is being positioned as an important part of this strategy.
