Chandigarh: A month-long youth agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has prompted Haryana’s political parties to rethink their outreach to Gen Z, with the BJP, Congress and regional outfits seeking a direct connect with young voters, who are estimated to account for at least 35% of the state’s electorate.What has caught their attention is not just the size of the youth constituency but its growing ability to organise, question and sustain pressure outside traditional political structures. The agitation has highlighted the reach of campus networks, social media and direct engagement, prompting parties to move beyond conventional rallies and speeches.Sources said the BJP’s central leadership has asked the state unit and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to step up interactions with Gen Z through colleges, campuses and youth-oriented programmes. BJP state president Dr Archana Gupta and other leaders have also been asked to increase engagement with young voters.“BJP and its frontal organisations have always been proactive in interacting with all sections. Now the strategy is changing. Gen Z wants communication in its own way. Hence, the party and leaders, including the PM and CM, have augmented communication through social media platforms to ensure direct interaction with youngsters,” said Bhupeshwar Dayal, head of the BJP’s media and communication team in Haryana.The Congress, too, has recalibrated its youth outreach. Haryana Youth Congress president Nishit Kataria has launched the statewide “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme, taking the organisation and senior leaders to campuses for direct interaction with students.“The Jantar Mantar agitation has changed a lot of things. Small slogans scribbled with sketches are making more impact. Another major factor is that this generation is not fearful. They are bold and can question anybody anytime. Every party has to keep this in mind. So are we,” Kataria said.The JJP, which has long projected itself as a youth-oriented party, is also seeking to consolidate its position among Gen Z. At an INSO foundation day function last week, former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala highlighted the political significance of the younger generation.“Gen Z is giving a new direction to the politics of the country. The youth raised their voice strongly at Jantar Mantar and sent out a powerful message, and the world witnessed the strength of our young people,” said Digvijay Singh Chautala. He added that a roadmap for restoring student union elections in Haryana was ready and warned of a major agitation if elections were not restored.INLD MLA and young leader Arjun Chautala was also among the first political leaders to back the protest.
