Youth Congress workers in the state are quite upbeat about the forthcoming visits of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in the state in September.

Rahul, on Monday, will launch the Youth Congress membership drive at a rally at Shahid Minar Maidan. This will be followed by his three more visits in the state in the middle of the month, said Rajeev Satav, the president of the All India Youth Congress.

Youth Congress president Vijay Inder Singla, a Congress MP from Sangrur, who is overseeing the youth wing’s membership drive in West Bengal said the state has been left out of the development map of the country.

“The only thing that has flourished in

the state is rowdiness and a jungle raj,”

said Satav. He further said, “All this will change soon as the Congress is now focused on Bengal.”

Asked if the newly enrolled members of the Youth Congress would take on the armed goons of the CPM, WBPCC president Manas Bhuniya said it was not part of the agenda of the party’s youth wing. He said Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram knows that a huge quantity of arms has reached the CPM cadres across the state and the state machinery will have to weed it out.

Taqi Ahmed, another Youth Congress leader said almost 1,500 youth wing workers have come from across India and are working in the state for the past few months. They will continue to do so till the membership drive is over, Ahmed added.

Rahul, during his trips to Bengal, might visit educational institutions like Jadavpur University and Presidency College. He may also visit educational institutions in city and the adjoining areas to win youth support.

According to sources, Rahul is likely to interact with the students of Calcutta or Jadavpur University or of colleges like St Xavier’s and Presidency.

“Rahul will also visit a few districts

of North Bengal and take stock of various