Opinion | Are Political Overtures Enough To Win Gen Z Voters?

Updated: Aug 26, 2026 17:06 pm IST Published On Aug 26, 2026 17:06 pm IST Last Updated On Aug 26, 2026 17:06 pm IST

Published On Aug 26, 2026 17:06 pm IST

Last Updated On Aug 26, 2026 17:06 pm IST

For years, Indian politicians have spoken about the youth far more often than they had spoken to them. Suddenly, however, the political establishment appears to have discovered a new urgency - Generation Z. The student-led CJP protests have acted as a wake-up call, forcing both the ruling party BJP and the opposition Congress to recognise that young Indians are no longer merely an electoral statistic. By 2029, Gen Z, comprising those aged 18 to 32, is projected to number nearly 380 million. They are an increasingly assertive political constituency capable of setting the agenda themselves.

Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Pune and the BJP's intensified Gen Z outreach, are evidence of this course correction. The BJP has even constituted a dedicated Gen Z outreach team, while the RSS has separately intensified engagement with teenagers.

However, the bigger question is: will these overtures actually win the confidence and eventually the votes of Gen Z? The answer is unlikely to be yes merely because politicians have started holding youth meetings.

Rahul Gandhi's youth outreach in form of campus connect and other initiatives such as Instagram 'Ask Me Anything' are significant because they are an attempt to create a direct conversation with students rather than relying exclusively on the traditional political rally. Congress said more than 30,000 students had registered for the Pune event.

Of course, the BJP, questioned........

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