Rahul Gandhi To Expand “Chhatron Ki Goonj” Campaign, Set To Hold 28 Events In First Phase

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will hold at least 28 episodes of “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme across the country in the first phase as he steps up outreach to students and Gen Z voters ahead of upcoming Assembly elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.

Congress aims to take the campaign to 800 districts, including small and medium-sized towns, through a wider network of student interactions, Hindustan Times reported citing the party functionaries.

Gandhi launched the programme in Kota, Rajasthan, on June 17. Since then, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has met students in Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune. He will hold the next session in Indore on September 19.

Congress general secretary Kanhaiya Kumar and his team are coordinating the campaign. Two party officials said the Congress plans to organise 28 episodes in the first phase and another 100 in the second.

The party has appointed coordinators in cities including Patna, Guwahati and Ranchi. They will invite participants, obtain administrative permissions and handle preparations before each event.

“Gandhi will participate in all 28 episodes. For other episodes, we have to involve other senior leaders of the party,” a Congress functionary said as cited by Hindustan Times

The campaign has focused on problems affecting students, including examination paper leaks, the commercialisation of education and gender discrimination.

During the inaugural programme in Kota, Gandhi accused the country’s education system of turning into an “extortion machine”. In Dehradun, he described paper leaks as “an extortion racket”, while his interaction in Prayagraj also focused on what he called “the extortion machine”.

The latest episode in Pune featured only female students, with Gandhi urging them to challenge and “smash the patriarchy”.

The Congress Working Committee approved the nationwide expansion of the programme at its August 19 meeting. The party’s top decision-making body resolved to intensify its engagement with students and extend the initiative to around 800 towns and cities.

“The programme will cover 800 districts. In other words, we will reach out to students in 800 small towns across the country ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha election. This is tough but an important step for the party,” a second functionary said.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also outlined the plan after the CWC meeting.

“The CWC decided that we will continue Chhatron ki Goonj in around 800 cities small and medium cities. Rahul Gandhi will attend some of these programmes,” Venugopal said.

The campaign forms part of the Congress’s broader attempt to build support among younger voters by highlighting concerns around education, employment, competitive examinations and institutional accountability.

The party intensified its student outreach after protesting in Parliament’s Monsoon Session against the government over police action against demonstrators in New Delhi on July 20. The Congress now plans to use “Chhatron Ki Goonj” as a long-term platform for direct engagement with students across the country.