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Former Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is on a visit to Uttarakhand. He will participate in the “School of Students” program and address the youth. Originally scheduled to be held at the Parade Ground in Dehradun, the event was canceled. Now, the protest will be held at the Bannu School. Everyone from former Chief Minister Harish Rawat to current Congress President Ganesh Godiyal is eagerly awaiting Rahul Gandhi’s arrival and preparing the ground for the party’s 2027 campaign.

The political results for the Congress in Uttarakhand have been a series of setbacks. It has been out of power in the state for nearly a decade. Now, with the 2027 assembly elections approaching, the party is busy preparing for the elections. The results have not been significant so far. Congress has achieved significant success in neither the assembly nor the Lok Sabha. The state has five Lok Sabha seats, but the BJP has no MPs.

Is the Congress stuck on its “face” in Uttarakhand?

Congress has a strong presence in Uttarakhand, but the party is still reluctant to place its trust in any one of them. It’s not that Congress lacks leaders in Uttarakhand, it’s just that they aren’t being promoted to frontline workers like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. This lack wasn’t apparent in Uttarakhand until Harish Singh Rawat was in the CM race. Now, he’s 78 years old, and Congress is avoiding a bid on him in active politics.

There are many leaders, but who will be given responsibility?

Congress recently formed a new state committee in Uttarakhand. Kumari Selja has been appointed in-charge of the new committee. Leaders include Prakash Joshi, Tilak Raj Behad, Mamta Rakesh, Vikram Singh Negi, Ganesh Godiyal, Yashpal Arya, Harish Rawat, Pritam Singh, Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Qazi Nizamuddin, Karan Mahara, Harak Singh Rawat, Bhuwan Kapri, Govind Singh Kunjwal, Pradeep Tamta, Mahendra Pal Singh, and Brahma Swaroop Brahmachari. A total of 23 people have been appointed to the committee.

What is his responsibility?

According to sources, Ganesh Godiyal appears to be the most active on the ground. Harish Rawat is on foot, visiting hilly areas, and interacting with people. He is not the Chief Ministerial candidate this time.

Will there be a leadership conflict after Rahul Gandhi’s arrival?

The Uttarakhand Congress party is intensifying its leadership contest for the 2027 Assembly elections. Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya is garnering considerable support within the party. Arya, who hails from the Kumaon region, is a prominent figure in the Dalit community and enjoys considerable popularity among the general public. His supporters see him as a potential future Chief Minister.

State Congress Committee President Ganesh Godiyal is leading the organization and is also considering himself a contender for the Chief Ministerial candidate. Former state president Pritam Singh also considers himself a key contender in the hilly areas.

Harak Singh Rawat is among the undisputed leaders of Garhwal. Bhuvan Chandra Kapri’s stature in the Congress has risen to Deputy Leader in the Assembly. Leaders like Rajkumar Thukral, Narayan Pal, Bhimlal Arya, Gaurav Goyal, and Lakhan Singh Negi are also now hoping that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership will entrust them with greater responsibilities.

How is the Congress falling apart in the data?

Congress has been out of power in Uttarakhand since 2017. Harish Rawat was the last Chief Minister. The Congress party has suffered a crushing defeat in every subsequent election. Congress remained out of power in 2017, and the party suffered a crushing defeat in 2022 as well.

Uttarakhand has 70 assembly seats. In the 2017 elections, Congress contested the elections under the leadership of Harish Rawat. The party was reduced to just 11 seats, while the BJP won 57. This was a major victory for the BJP. Two other candidates won.

Congress’s tally increased by 7 seats in the 2022 elections. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami himself lost his seat. Congress won 19 seats in 2022. The BJP gained 47 seats. The Bahujan Samaj Party also won 2 seats.

What can Rahul Gandhi do now?

In Punjab, the Congress lost power due to a rift between Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu. In Rajasthan, the political rivalry between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot impacted the assembly elections. In states where Congress lost ground, this rift was a major factor. The Congress no longer wants such a confrontation in Uttarakhand.

This time, the Congress has entrusted its leaders with the responsibility of strengthening the organization by staying on the ground. So far, no single face has been given prominence. According to sources, this could be a Congress strategy. Wherever a candidate is announced, conflict often erupts. This time, the Uttarakhand Congress has avoided such discord. For the first time, all the leaders are seen together in a single line. This visit by Rahul Gandhi is being considered the official start of the election campaign.