Harish Rawat defies AICC orders to continue Uttarakhand yatra ahead of polls

Congress veteran Harish Rawat is continuing his 'Dhanyawad evam Jansamvad Yatra' despite a direct warning from the party high command to call it off. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal met Rawat on Monday evening to discuss the ongoing campaign and stated that individual campaigns will not be tolerated. Venugopal stressed that all programmes must be conducted jointly under the Congress banner, led by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, with the sole aim of winning the upcoming 2027 Assembly elections.

The Dispute

Earlier on Monday, Rawat pressed ahead with the Jaspur-Haldwani leg of his yatra in Udham Singh Nagar district, starting at 11:30 am. This came just days after AICC general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja wrote to him on October 1, asking him to drop the programme. Selja's letter noted that Rawat launched the yatra without consulting state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal or the state in-charge, and she criticized his recent controversial statements. Rawat rejected the directive, posting on social media that there is no stopping now and that his resolve for the pride of Uttarakhand remains firm. A close aide defended the yatra as a public dialogue and thanksgiving campaign meant to bring Congress back to power, adding that local workers are participating enthusiastically.

Party Concerns

Meanwhile, the central leadership fears the independent outreach will project a divided house to the public while official party programmes are already underway. An AICC leader confirmed that officials are monitoring Rawat's upcoming schedule to report back to the high command. This internal friction follows a difficult period for Rawat, who appeared before the Enforcement Directorate last month in a money-laundering probe linked to a 2016 recruitment examination. The probe followed searches at premises linked to his former OSD and current personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena, with the agency seizing Rs 1.28 crore in assets, including cash, gold, and luxury watches. Despite these pressures, Rawat recently led a roadshow in Dehradun, with a vehicle in his Haridwar cavalcade featuring a poster declaring that the 'Tiger is back.'

Context

Internal party friction and factional rivalries are common challenges for political parties facing major state elections, particularly when veteran leaders hold strong regional followings. Parallel campaigns can complicate leadership strategies and obscure collective messaging during electoral campaigns.