Can Rahul Gandhi turn youth anger into votes in Uttar Pradesh?

As usual, with the Congress’ Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign—which started on June 17 in Kota, Rajasthan—songs were played to keep the youth entertained, along with a heavy dose of protest slogans against the government chanted by audience.

Hoardings displayed across the venue read, 'Reel Mantri, give us real jobs', taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at KP Ground in Prayagraj on Saturday. When Gandhi walked onto the stage, the crowd erupted into whistles and more synchronised slogans.

Large political gatherings may not be unusual in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where parties have traditionally been able to mobilise sizeable crowds. But what stood out in Prayagraj was the composition of the gathering—a significant presence of young people—and the intensity of their response to issues such as unemployment, examination paper leaks and education.

“Students and worshipping God are part of every family, the BJP has looted both, therefore it will have resonance everywhere,” said Congress national spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh.

The scale of the gathering was visible beyond the venue itself. People climbed onto JCBs and trucks, stood on buildings, and even watched Gandhi’s address through the windows of distant buildings. Thick furrows of mud surrounded a large part of the venue—a monsoon situation that the party has been dealing with throughout the campaign.

For Congress leaders, however, the gathering was more significant than a show of numbers: it offered the possibility of creating a buzz in the state where Assembly elections will be held in 2027, and served as a foundational activity to connect with the party ranks and mobilise youth in Uttar Pradesh.

“We saw Bharat Jodo, where people showered blessings on Rahul and participated in huge numbers. But this is different. This is organic youth coming to the venue. In other places, we have our own cadre, but Congress does not have a cadre in Uttar Pradesh, and yet there is such a massive crowd,” said a young Congress leader preparing to contest the Assembly elections.

Abhirath Pandey, a BA LLB student at Allahabad University, said Gandhi had become more popular among young people after he began taking up issues affecting them, particularly paper leaks.

For Gandhi, these concerns have increasingly become the centrepiece of his political pitch to address young Indians nationally, highlighting what they see as the shortcomings of a Central government that has put the future of the young generation at stake.

Addressing the gathering, Gandhi spoke about perhaps a difficult topic for people above 40, indicating that the party not only sees the youth as catalysts but also as prominent change-makers.

He spoke about artificial intelligence and data at length, before wrapping it up with education loans and unemployment, arguing that data would play the same defining role in the 21st century economy that petrol and engines played in the 20th century.

“Everyone speaks about AI. Without your data, there is no meaning of AI,” Gandhi said, arguing that young Indians were generating the data that can power the new economy, but the benefits were being taken by the Ambanis and Adanis. Gandhi then spoke about the broader anxiety surrounding education and employment.

“You take education loans and crores and lakhs of money is taken from you. And whatever you try, you get a certificate, but there is no meaning of the certificate in India because it cannot give you jobs,” he said.

Gandhi also invoked the experience of young people preparing for competitive examinations, connecting unemployment with paper leaks and what he described as a system that favours the wealthy. However, Gandhi urged the youth not to turn their frustration into hatred or violence, asking them instead to embrace the idea of 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan (Shop of Love)'.

“Nobody should have hatred in his heart, but love. We don’t have to hate, but we have to change the government, change the system and say bye-bye to it. You are fighting for justice and I am with you everywhere. You are India’s spirit and future. You cannot allow yourself to hate or be violent. You have to love. You have to set up Mohabbat Ki Dukaan.”

For Congress, the question is whether such enthusiasm can be converted into electoral mobilisation. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed repeated controversies over examinations and recruitment, but the anger among the young has not spilled onto the streets like it did in Bihar.

“In Uttar Pradesh, the reaction is a little late. In Bihar, there is more revolutionary sentiment. Therefore, even after having more than a dozen paper leaks, the response is somewhat subdued. But it will reflect in the coming elections,” a senior Congress leader said.

Some participants, however, believe the public discourse is changing in favour of the Congress.

“People have started talking about examination paper leaks and, importantly, Congress and Rahul Gandhi, because he has been picking up issues that actually matter to the common public,” said Sandeep, an employee who attended the event.