CHANDIGARH: A month-long youth agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has forced Haryana’s political parties to rethink their electoral playbook, with the BJP, Congress and regional outfits now racing to establish a direct connect with Gen Z and young voters—an electoral bloc estimated to account for at least 35% of the state’s electorate.What has particularly caught the attention of political parties is not merely the size of this young constituency, but its growing willingness to organise, question authority and sustain pressure outside traditional political structures. The Jantar Mantar agitation has demonstrated that Gen Z can generate political attention on its own terms, prompting parties to shift from conventional rallies and speeches to campus interactions, social media engagement and direct question-and-answer sessions.Sources said the BJP’s central leadership has quietly asked the state unit and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to hold dedicated interactions with Gen Z at colleges, campuses and youth-oriented programmes. The idea is to create forums where young voters can directly engage with political leaders rather than remain part of larger political gatherings.BJP state president Dr Archana Gupta and other leaders have also been asked to increase interaction with the younger generation.“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 its leaders, including the PM and CM, have increased engagement 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 begun recalibrating 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 anyone at any time. 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 voices 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 the restoration of 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.For parties, the message is clear: Gen Z is no longer merely an audience to be addressed during elections. With a sizeable share of Haryana’s electorate, political assertiveness and a distinct communication style, young voters are fast becoming the state’s newest political battleground.
