DEHRADUN: Out of power for two consecutive Assembly elections, the Congress in Uttarakhand is facing uncertainty for a third time. This time, the threat appears to be less from the ruling BJP and more from a prestige battle raging within the party itself.
The sudden hardening of veteran leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s stance has jolted both the state unit and the central leadership. Despite strict instructions from the high command to toe the party line and maintain discipline, Rawat continues to chart his own course.
What has increased the tension for the high command is that Rawat is not alone. Experienced leaders such as former PCC chief and Campaign Committee chairman Pritam Singh and several MLAs are marching alongside him, amplifying the challenge.
Rawat’s ‘Dhanyavad evam Jan Samvad Yatra’ ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections has become the biggest fault line within the Congress. Even after a clear objection from state in-charge Kumari Selja, Rawat has refused to halt the yatra, raising questions over whether it is an act of rebellion or an attempt to assert dominance within the organisation.
Writing on social media, Rawat said, “The challenge is big, but our resolve for Uttarakhand’s honour and self-respect is firm, and there is no stopping this yatra now.”
Rawat maintains that after recovering from a serious illness, he is out to thank those who prayed for his health. Politically, however, the yatra has gone far beyond a thanksgiving exercise, becoming a platform to attack the BJP government and project his resolve to bring the Congress back to power.
The friction became public when AICC general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja wrote to Rawat on October 1, stating that neither she nor the PCC had been informed about the programmes.
Citing the approaching elections, she wrote that the party must face the people unitedly and that parallel programmes were not in the party’s interest. She also flagged some controversial statements made by Rawat.
Following this, Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal summoned Rawat to Delhi. Rawat, however, gave no indication that he would stop the yatra.
Analysts say the yatra cannot be dismissed as a personal event. During the Jaspur leg, Pritam Singh, former Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal and several legislators were seen accompanying him.
Senior journalist and political observer Jai Singh Rawat told this newspaper, “There is talk in political circles that Harish Rawat is running this campaign only to get tickets for his family members, but nothing has emerged on a public platform so far. With elections approaching, speculation is rife. It is true that before polls, independent yatras by senior leaders are often seen as a pressure tactic for tickets, posts and strategy.”
In Haldwani, Rawat, who began the yatra after recovering from illness, said voices of change were emerging from the ground. Referring to a possible change in the state, he said Rahul Gandhi would become Prime Minister in 2029. He attacked the BJP over the CBI, ED and other issues, while also delivering a blunt message to his own party.
MLAs Madan Bisht, Tilak Raj Behad, Adesh Chauhan, Harish Dhami, Manoj Tiwari and Sumit Hridayesh, as well as former Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal, former MLAs Hemesh Kharkwal, Lalit Farswan, Narayan Pal and Premanand Mahajan, mayoral candidate Lalit Joshi and hundreds of workers were also present, sending a clear signal to the high command and rival factions.
Rawat will now meet Uttarakhand in-charge Selja and general secretary K C Venugopal separately in Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday.
