Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reached Prayagraj on Saturday to interact with students and competitive-exam aspirants, focusing on unemployment, paper leaks, stalled recruitment and the future of Uttar Pradesh’s youth ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The programme, titled ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, is being held in Prayagraj, a major centre for students preparing for competitive examinations. Congress leaders said around two lakh students and young people are expected to participate in the programme, which the party has projected as a platform for students to raise their concerns directly.
The Congress has stepped up its attack on the BJP government over alleged recruitment irregularities and unemployment. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai accused the government of being "scared" of growing anger among students.
"The government is scared because the youth are asking questions. They want jobs, they want transparency in examinations and they want accountability," Rai said, according to the Congress's account of the campaign.
The party has also used the slogan, "Job nahi milega, toh singhasan hilega" — if there are no jobs, the throne will shake — in its mobilisation campaign. Posters carrying the message have appeared in Prayagraj ahead of Gandhi’s programme.
The event has also faced a venue controversy. The proposed programme at KP Ground was uncertain after the KP Trust declined to make the ground available, leading to a confrontation between the Congress and the administration. Rai said all formalities for the event had been completed and accused the government of trying to obstruct Gandhi’s interaction with students.
Rai said the programme was not a conventional political rally but a direct interaction with young people.
"This is not a road show. Rahul Gandhi will sit with students and listen to their problems," Rai said, highlighting unemployment, paper leaks, recruitment delays and examination-related grievances.
Ahead of his visit, Gandhi said he was travelling to Prayagraj because a large number of young people prepare for competitive examinations there.
"Every student here knows that the system has become dishonest," Gandhi said, alleging that students were working hard but the system was failing to reward their efforts.
He also raised the issues of paper leaks, stalled recruitment and aspirants waiting for years, questioning who should be held accountable when examinations are cancelled or recruitment processes remain pending.
The Congress has linked the Prayagraj programme to a wider student mobilisation campaign in education hubs, including Kota and Dehradun. The party said the campaign aims to give students and job seekers a platform to raise issues affecting their careers and future.
Political observers said the programme is aimed at strengthening the Congress’s connect with young voters and making employment and education key issues ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
“The party hopes Gandhi's direct interaction with students will convert their grievances into a broader youth mobilisation — and make jobs one of the defining political battlegrounds of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh election”, said Shashikant Pandey, head of the Department of Political Science at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.