Chennai, Sep 25 - A whopping 1.3 million youngsters have sent in applications for membership to the Congress party' youth wing in Tamil Nadu within two weeks of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state.

According to Congress officials, the membership enrolment drive for the party's state youth wing started by Rahul Gandhi has got a huge response.

The membership applications will now be scrutinised and the final list of those selected will be published later. Only those who are selected are eligible to vote in the ensuing elections to choose the state youth wing office-bearers.

A party official told IANS that there was no structured manner of enrolling members to the youth wing earlier and the appointment of office-bearers was also ad hoc. Now, the youth wing is being democratised.

Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar told IANS over telephone from Haryana: 'The Tamil Nadu numbers are around our earlier expectations.