Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS) The Congress will come to power in Tamil Nadu in five years if its youth wing works hard unitedly, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Wednesday.

"The Congress party is not in power (in Tamil Nadu) for the past 40 years. I am willing to visit Tamil Nadu any number of times in order to bring the Congress back in power in the state," he told party cadres.

Assuring that the party will be handed over to the youth, he urged the young cadres to work together so that it comes to power in five years.

Earlier, addressing the students of the Anna University, he asked the youth to enter politics to root out corruption.

Before coming here, Gandhi had toured Thanjavur, Vellore and Villupuram in the morning and met a cross-section of people.

In Thanjavur, he promised to sort out the problems faced by farmers and exhorted young farmers to join the party, saying it was not just for the moneyed people.

Speaking to the young doctors in the Vellore Christian Medical College, he emphasised the need for more medical colleges.

At Villupuram, he said elections for the office-bearers of the party's youth wing will be held across the country, ending the system of nominating the leaders.

He said he would take steps to protect the interests of Tamils not only in neighbouring Sri Lanka, but anywhere in the world.