Youth Cong's Facebook Live series an attempt to connect with young voters ahead of LS polls

In the run up to the Lok Sabha polls next year, the Congress' youth wing is holding a series of online interactions between senior party leaders and young voters through Facebook Live.

The initiative, 'Young India Facebook Live Series', launched last month, has so far featured Ghulam Nabi Azad, Manish Tewari, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Sam Pitroda among others, and efforts are on to bring Rahul Gandhi to the platform, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) spokesperson Amrish Pandey said.

The online interaction takes place on IYC's official Facebook page every Thursday at 6 pm. Sam Pitroda was the first guest of the series launched on October 18. Guests to the programme pick questions sent by the users in form of comments of the Facebook page and respond to it accordingly.

So far, six episodes of the online interaction have been conducted covering topics like aspirations of young India, freedom of press, demonetisation and youth and politics, Pandey said.

The next guest in the series will be former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who will address women issues on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi on Monday.

"The live series is like a freewheeling chat where the youngsters and senior party leaders can interact in an uninhibited manner. A direct interaction helps to put forward ideas in a better way," Pandey said.

Alleging that absence of an alternate voice is leading to monopoly of a specific ideology which needs to be countered, he said the series designed by the social media team of IYC has provided an opportunity to the youth to raise their voice and talk to leaders on every issue.

"The series is helpful in building mutual understanding between the youth and the party. We are also trying to bring Congress president Rahul Gandhi to interact with the youth later on," Pandey said.