India, Sept. 18 -- The Congress is once again preparing for a major political push in Odisha- this time with an eye on the 2027 Panchayat elections and the larger battle for political space ahead of the 2029 Assembly polls. The party is planning the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Odisha, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit the state in October. The programme is being positioned as an outreach to students and Gen Z, with issues such as education, unemployment, price rise and social justice expected to dominate the agenda.

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has also indicated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar could be invited for programmes in the state b...