DEHRADUN: Tensions have resurfaced within the Uttarakhand Congress, as former minister Harak Singh Rawat publicly blamed former Chief Minister Harish Rawat for the party’s defeat in the 2022 assembly elections. Harish Rawat quickly responded, reviving old political rivalries between the two leaders.
According to Congress insiders, the fallout dates back to the 2016 political crisis, when the Congress government faced a toppling attempt. Despite their rocky past, the two leaders were recently seen at a high-level party meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi a moment that added irony to their current public spat, sources said.
In a widely shared statement on social media, Harak Singh Rawat directly held Harish Rawat responsible for the party's poor performance in 2022. “Had Harish Rawat not contested, Congress would have returned to power,” he claimed, accusing Harish of only focusing on Lalkuan and Haridwar Rural, and neglecting the rest of the campaign.
Harak said he had advised Harish Rawat at the time to avoid internal conflicts and to focus on giving tickets to winnable candidates. “Even family members are not truly your own, so talking about ‘mine and yours’ in politics is meaningless. Politics is about results those who win are the conquerors,” he said.
Referring to the 2016 incident, Harak added, “Harish Rawat has not forgiven me for what happened. But I didn’t join Congress in 2022 by choice it was the 2016 event that exposed the truth to those blinded by power.”
In a sharp rebuttal, Harish Rawat said, “If I hadn’t intervened, Harak Singh wouldn’t have rejoined Congress. I respected his request.” He challenged Harak to prove his worth by winning a single seat, saying that might help heal the bitterness from 2016.
Harish also pointed out that Harak was “nowhere to be seen” during the recent Lok Sabha elections. “Harak Singh needs to understand the pain we felt in 2016. That year, democracy and the spirit of Uttarakhand were betrayed. The BJP came to power because of that event,” he said.
He added that his current campaign, the ‘Nyay Yatra’, is aimed at exposing BJP’s lies, corruption, and injustice, which have damaged the state.