Chennai, Jan 11 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Gudalur in the Nilgiris district on January 13 to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of St Thomas English High School.

Party sources said the visit is purely ceremonial, with no political programmes or public meetings planned during his brief stay in the hill town.

According to Congress functionaries, Rahul Gandhi will arrive by helicopter from Mysuru at around 3.30 p.m. After attending the event at the school, he is expected to depart by 4.30 p.m. Apart from a formal reception to be accorded by local Congress leaders at the helipad, no additional engagements have been scheduled.

“As far as we know, the leader has no political events or meetings during this visit,” a senior Congress functionary said.

This marks Rahul Gandhi’s second visit to Gudalur in recent years. He last visited the region in September 2022 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, when he addressed supporters and spoke about the scenic beauty of the Western Ghats.

During that visit, he stayed overnight at a private school before continuing his journey towards Karnataka as part of the nationwide march.

The golden jubilee celebrations of St Thomas English High School are also likely to be attended by Rev Dr Mathews Mar Makarios Episcopa, Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, lending prominence to the event.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes at a time when the DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu is facing political undercurrents. In recent weeks, some Congress functionaries and elected representatives have publicly sought a greater share in power, triggering discussions within the ruling alliance.

The Congress has also intensified its criticism of the BJP over the recent censorship controversy surrounding Vijay’s latest film, ‘Jana Nayagan’, an issue that has sparked sharp political reactions in the state.

Meanwhile, sources said the Congress high command is preparing to hold a key meeting in New Delhi to review the party’s poll preparedness in Tamil Nadu.

Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are likely to meet the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president, former TNCC presidents, and elected representatives from the state on January 18. The meeting was earlier proposed for January 14 but has since been rescheduled. A senior party leader said such meetings are part of the Congress’ established practice of holding consultations with leaders from poll-bound states to assess the political situation and fine-tune organisational and electoral strategies ahead of upcoming elections.

–IANS

aal/dpb