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The Congress high command has reportedly asked the septuagenarian leader to stop holding parallel programmes across the state, which goes to polls early next year
The message from the central leadership does not appear to have deterred Harish Rawat (in pic), who is set to begin the second leg of his programmes. (AFP)
Former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat appears to be at odds with the party leadership ahead of the assembly elections in the state. The Congress high command has reportedly asked the septuagenarian leader to stop holding parallel programmes across the state, which goes to polls early next year.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal reportedly summoned Rawat to New Delhi on Sunday. Party sources said Rawat had been firmly told to rein in his political activities and follow the party line.
Earlier, senior Congress leader and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja wrote to Rawat, with a copy of the letter sent to Venugopal. In her letter dated October 1, Selja pointed out that Rawat was undertaking a yatra in the state without discussing it with her or Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president.
“You are undertaking a yatra in the state. This has neither been discussed with me nor the PCC president,” she wrote, adding that with assembly elections approaching in the coming months, the party needed to present a united front.
However, the message from the central leadership does not appear to have deterred Rawat. He is set to begin the second leg of his programmes from Udham Singh Nagar district on Monday, taking his outreach campaign forward in the state.
“Friends, the challenge is big, but our resolve to protect the pride and self-respect of Uttarakhand is equally strong! There is no stopping now during this phase of the ‘Dhanyawad evam Jansamvad Yatra’,” Rawat posted on social media on Monday morning. “From Jaspur to Haldwani, join me today as we interact with people and take forward the fight for the rights of Devbhoomi,” he added.
Rawat’s decision to continue with the programmes despite the reported objections from the party leadership has brought the simmering differences within the Uttarakhand Congress into focus at a crucial time ahead of the elections.
The veteran leader returned to Dehradun last month after nearly two months of rest on medical grounds, during which he remained away from the state. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case against an aide of Rawat in connection with an alleged recruitment racket dating back to 2016. Rawat recently visited the ED office with supporters and a photograph of his mother, where he was questioned for several hours.
Those familiar with Congress politics in Uttarakhand believe the party will find it difficult to sideline Rawat, given his longstanding influence within the state unit. Several Congress leaders in Uttarakhand have either learnt the ropes of politics under him or been groomed by the veteran leader over the years.
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Ask News18Congress general secretary KC Venugopal summoned Harish Rawat to New Delhi after the veteran leader defied leadership warnings by holding parallel programmes and undertaking a yatra across Uttarakhand without consulting state in-charge Kumari Selja or the PCC president.
Ask News18About the Author
Anupam Trivedi, Uttarakhand Editor, at News18, tracks politics, government affairs, environment and developmental issues concerning the Himalayan state. Being in the profession for two decades, he has…Read More
Dehradun, India, India
October 05, 2026, 11:21 IST
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