Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi begins a whirlwind three-day tour of Tamil Nadu Tuesday to revitalise the party in the state, amid tight security in towns and cities that he is expected to visit.
His tour is packed with a series of meetings, mainly addressing the youth and hopping from one town to another.

According to plans, Gandhi will land in Nagercoil around 11.30 a.m. Tuesday where he will address the members of the Congress’ youth wing from the Kanyakumari parliamentary constituency and also interact with young fishermen.

Hours later he would reach Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar to address the party’s youth wing members there and travel to Madurai to meet with students of the Madurai Kamaraj University and later address a conference of people from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

The next day, Gandhi has an engagement with young farmers in Thanjavur — the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu — and workers in Vellore and Villupuram. Besides, he will meet medicos at the Vellore Christian Medical College.

Back in Chennai, he will interact with the students of Anna University and later participate at a party function at the state Congress headquarters. He will also meet owners and editors of newspapers.

On Thursday morning, he will address a press conference before leaving for Krishnagiri and later at Salem address the party workers and youth.

Gandhi will also be going to Coimbatore for a meeting with young industrialists and address a public meeting there.

His whirlwind tour that involves meeting youth, party cadres, students, professionals, industrialists and others is aimed at revitalising the grand old party in Tamil Nadu, Congress sources said.

With the Congress deciding to hold organisational elections in its youth wing in the state soon, the visit of Gandhi, 38, is expected to give much thrust to the youth membership drive that is on now in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress has not tasted power in the state even once after 1967, but has been getting some seats in the assembly riding piggyback on the shoulders of two Dravidian parties — AIADMK and DMK — since then.

Meanwhile, the last month’s meeting of Tamil movie hero Vijay with Gandhi has created excitement among the Congress cadres here and given rise to speculations in political circles.

The Congress is also wooing another actor turned politician, Vijaykath, who has floated DMDK and is believed to have a good youth following.

While Congressmen have welcomed Vijay to join their party, the actor has kept mum.

Unlike the two other major parties in the state — DMK and AIADMK — the Congress has no notable actor with it to attract the masses.

Vijay’s association with the Congress is expected to get the party the much needed young blood.