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Harish Rawat faces questions from the Congress high command after continuing his Uttarakhand outreach yatra. (Img: X)
Dehradun: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has been summoned to Delhi after going ahead with a public outreach rally despite the party leadership’s advice against it. The move has triggered fresh questions over Congress’s internal equations in Uttarakhand ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat is facing fresh scrutiny from the party high command after organising a parallel public outreach programme in Uttarakhand despite being advised against proceeding with it.
Rawat’s decision has opened another chapter in the long-running debate over leadership, coordination and campaign strategy within the Uttarakhand Congress. The former chief minister has now been called to Delhi, where he is expected to explain his position before senior party leaders.
The immediate trigger is Rawat’s decision to proceed with his public outreach rally despite a communication from Uttarakhand Congress in-charge Kumari Selja advising him against holding a separate programme.
The party leadership is understood to be concerned that individual political programmes could create confusion at a time when Congress needs a coordinated strategy ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
Rawat, however, has defended his initiative and questioned how his public outreach could weaken the party when, according to him, no major organised Congress campaign is currently visible across the state.
Responding to the controversy, Rawat pointed to his nearly six decades of association with Congress and said the party had never previously asked him to explain his actions. He indicated that the upcoming Delhi meeting had created an unusual sense of anticipation for him and that he was ready to put his version before the leadership.
Rawat also questioned the criticism surrounding his rally. He argued that Congress programmes were not currently visible on a large scale across districts, blocks, roads and rural areas, raising the question of how his own public outreach could undermine the organisation.
Rawat’s rally was organised as a public interaction and outreach exercise in Uttarakhand. The former chief minister used the programme to connect with people and highlight issues on the ground. However, the timing and independent nature of the campaign became a point of friction with the party leadership.
For Congress, the central concern is reportedly organisational coordination. For Rawat and his supporters, the outreach is being viewed as an effort to strengthen the party’s grassroots presence ahead of the next Assembly election.
The controversy comes at a politically crucial time for Congress in Uttarakhand. With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, the party faces the challenge of combining its veteran leadership with a coordinated state-level campaign. Rawat remains a prominent Congress figure in Uttarakhand, making his relationship with the central leadership politically significant.
The latest dispute therefore goes beyond one rally. It highlights the larger question of how Congress will manage its senior leaders and campaign structure as the election approaches.
Rawat is expected to meet senior Congress leaders in Delhi and explain why he proceeded with his rally despite the party’s advice. The leadership’s response could determine whether the dispute is resolved through internal discussions or develops into a larger organisational confrontation.
For Congress, the priority will be maintaining unity and building a coordinated election campaign. For Rawat, the Delhi meeting will be an opportunity to defend his political outreach and explain why he believes such programmes can help revive the party’s grassroots connect. The outcome could provide an important indication of how Congress plans to balance its veteran leadership with its election strategy in Uttarakhand.
