Will the Rahul magic work in the April 13 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls? The Congress general secretary, whose poll formula failed in Bihar, is expected to add leverage to the Congress campaign and turn things around for the party candidates, particularly the six Youth Congress (YC) functionaries, who are however on the back foot, pitted as they are against heavyweights in the AIADMK-led Opposition.
Mr Gandhi will campaign for state YC general secretary Yuvaraja and All India YC general secretary Jothimani in Erode and Karur on April 6. He might also have time to meet cadres at Trichy and Puducherry the following day, Congress sources said.
Though the Congress poster boy has little time to pay surprise visits to Adi Dravidar houses and impress the downtrodden this time, cadres and candidates believe the very presence of the young leader would lend credence to their campaign.
Also, the initial lethargy and dissidence triggered by candidate selection and seat sharing within the Congress camp could be overcome and the cadres’ spirit lifted in the last few crucial days ahead of the election, said a Congress senior.
Similarly, the visit of Rahul a day after the joint show by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and DMK president M Karunanidhi in the state capital would bring the two party cadres together and strengthen the campaign, the Congress senior said.