Harish Rawat says he is not in the race for Uttarakhand Chief Minister

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat announced on Wednesday that he is not running for the Chief Minister's post if the Congress wins the 2027 Assembly elections, stating the central leadership will make that choice.

Election Goals

Rawat said the party must focus on winning at least 45 out of the 70 Assembly seats in the state. Once MLAs win their seats, party leadership and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will decide the Chief Minister, according to Rawat. This comes amid uncertainty over his role in poll preparations, as he continues to hold his own programmes and rallies despite party friction.

Leadership Friction

Last month, Rawat held his "dhanyawad evam jansamvad yatra" even after party leaders asked him to stop. On October 6, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal issued a public warning that the party will not tolerate individual campaigns. Questions about Rawat grew on November 2 when Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi met state leaders to discuss polls, but Rawat did not attend the meeting. Other leaders like state president Ganesh Godiyal, Pritam Singh, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya, and Kumari Selja attended.

Past Tensions

Tensions stem from organisational changes made in November last year. Godiyal returned as state Congress president to replace Karan Mahara, Pritam Singh took charge of the campaign committee, and Harak Singh Rawat headed the election management committee. Rawat earlier took a 15-day break in April after Sanjay Negi was left out of the party. In September, Rawat stepped down from the state executive and the Congress Working Committee after the Enforcement Directorate searched his former aide Chandan Singh Jeena in connection with a 2016 recruitment exam.

Historical Context

Rawat has a long history with the party leadership dating back before the state's creation in November 2000. He served as state Congress president from 2001 to 2007 and led the party into the 2002 polls, but the high command picked N D Tiwari as Chief Minister. In 2012, the party chose Vijay Bahuguna for the top post, before Rawat replaced Bahuguna as Chief Minister in February 2014 after the Kedarnath floods. His government faced a 2016 rebellion where nine MLAs joined the BJP, leading to President's Rule before Rawat won a Supreme Court-mandated floor test. He lost both his seats in the 2017 elections, lost the 2019 Lok Sabha seat for Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar, and lost the Lalkuan seat in the 2022 Assembly polls.

Context

Internal disagreements and factional rivalries are common challenges for political parties preparing for high-stakes state elections in India. Party high commands often balance regional leaders and different factions to present a unified front to voters. The Congress party in Uttarakhand has experienced multiple leadership shifts and internal friction over the years leading up to upcoming polls.