Harish Rawat defies central Congress order to press ahead with Uttarakhand yatra

Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has ignored a central party directive to cancel his mass outreach campaign, deepening internal rifts ahead of the state assembly elections due in February 2027. Rawat moved ahead with the Jaspur-Haldwani leg of his public dialogue and thanksgiving tour, days after All India Congress Committee general secretary Kumari Selja wrote to him on October 1 demanding he halt the program. In her letter, Selja pointed out that Rawat launched the initiative without consulting state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal or the state in-charge, while also mentioning concerns over his recent controversial public remarks. The central leadership argued that running a separate campaign so close to the polls projects a fractured image to voters. Rawat countered the pushback by declaring on social media that there is no stopping his efforts to bring the party back to power.

Investigations

Beyond current election friction, Rawat faced scrutiny last month when he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate regarding a money-laundering inquiry into recruitment irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari test. Federal investigators previously searched several locations, including the properties of his former OSD and current personal assistant Chandan Singh Jeena, seizing cash, gold, and luxury watches worth roughly 1.28 crore rupees.

Context

State-level political campaigns outside official party channels often highlight competing factions as parties prepare for upcoming assembly elections. Regional leaders frequently use independent outreach events to consolidate local support and position themselves as primary contenders for future leadership roles.