Bhubaneswar, July 13 (IANS) Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday reached Orissa for a two-day trip that will take him to several districts as he attempts to strengthen the grassroots base of the party.

Gandhi arrived at Kotpad village in the tribal populated district of Koraput at about 9.45 a.m. in a helicopter from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, deputy inspector general of police Soumendra Priyadarshi told IANS.

He interacted with a group of Youth Congress activists at the village.

The Congress MP, who had last week marched through several villages in Uttar Pradesh, is scheduled to visit Jharsuguda, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Khordha districts. He will also address a public meeting in Bhubaneswar Thursday, a senior party leader said.

Rahul Gandhi, the son of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, had last visited the state in December. While party leaders in the state said the visit will boost the morale of Congress workers, the ruling Biju Janata Dal said it will have no impact.