Congress reaches out to first time voters with letter

Armed with a letter from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers will reach out to first time voters — those in the age group of 18-24 — during a membership drive that gets off from October 2.

Top Congress leaders have given specific instructions to enroll those born at the turn of the century as party strategists believe that the youth hold the key to power in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

An estimated 14 crore voters are expected to be eligible to exercise their franchise when India votes to elect its leader next year, and it is these voters that both the Congress and the BJP are targeting to turn the tide in their favour.

The Congress has drafted one crore 'booth sahyogis' for the massive membership and fund raising drive that kicks off on October 2 – the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi – and will continue till November 19 – the birth anniversary of late prime minister Indira Gandhi.

“Booth Sahyogis will specifically reach out to the new voters aged between 18 and 24 and enroll them as Congress workers,” read the guidelines for the voter outreach initiative issued by AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot.

After enrolling a first-time voter, the booth sahyogis are expected to give him a congratulatory letter from the Congress president along with publicity material of the party that includes, the failures of the Modi government, the Congress ideology and an alternative vision to counter that of the BJP's.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a staggering 66.38% of the electorate cast their votes, the highest ever turnout. The voter turn out in the 18-25 age bracket was 68% and the BJP is estimated to have received support of 39% of the first-time voters against the 19% who backed the Congress.

The student and the youth wings of the Congress have already begun reaching out to the youth by organising workshops and engaging them by raising issues dear to them.