The Congress has reinstated former MLA Ganesh Godiyal, 59, because the Uttarakhand chief minister, changing Karan Mahara, whose time period led to April, amongst different modifications made by the celebration on Tuesday evening with the 2027 meeting elections in thoughts.
Pritam Singh, former state Congress president (2017-21) and MLA from Chakrata, has been appointed because the celebration’s election committee chairman, whereas former BJP minister Harak Singh Rawat has been appointed as the brand new chairman of the Congress Election Committee.
Mahara, a two-time MLA from Ranikhet metropolis, had been appointed PCC chief by Godiyal in 2022. It has been prolonged since April. Mr Mahara reportedly desires to spend extra time on the constituency as elections strategy and is now a particular invitee to the parliamentary working committee.
The earlier management consisted of Mahara from the Thakur tribe, CLP deputy chief Bhuwan Chandra Kapuri from the Brahmin tribe, and CLP Yashpal Arya from the Scheduled Castes, all of whom had been accused of giving preferential therapy to Kumaon leaders.
The brand new appointments will characterize all main caste teams in each areas of the state, together with Garhwal. Whereas Godiyal is a Brahmin from Garhwal, Pritam Singh is a Rajput from Dehradun and hails from Jaunsar Bawar area, the place he enjoys ST standing. Aria and her lieutenant Capri are captured.
Among the many modifications introduced Wednesday was the restricted position of former prime minister and Congress stalwart Harish Rawat. Godiyal was as soon as an in depth aide of Harish Rawat, however rifts reportedly arose since August, when Rawat supported Pritam Singh as PCC chief.
Godiyal made his electoral debut in 2002 and gained consideration with a surprising victory over Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, a senior BJP chief and former Union minister. Nonetheless, in 2007, Godiyal misplaced to Pokhriyal.
In 2012, Godiyal contested from Srinagar seat and narrowly defeated Dhan Singh Rawat of the BJP. In 2017, historical past repeated itself and he misplaced to Rawat. Godiyal, who was appointed Uttarakhand Congress president in 2021, suffered a setback a 12 months later when he suffered two consecutive defeats from Srinagar to Rawat in meeting elections. He quickly handed over the place of PCC chief to Mahara.
After returning as Congress president, Godiyal thanked “all the employees who’ve cooperated with me”. “I’ve vowed to determine a authorities on this state that may finish the tradition of corruption. I’ll work for the betterment of the state and the folks. The present authorities is working with an angle of dictatorship and corruption. We’ll break this tradition,” he mentioned.
The appointment of Harak Singh Rawat, a Rajput chief from Pauri Garhwal, who’s on the heart of the deforestation and unlawful building case within the Corbett Tiger Reserve, might face controversy because the Enforcement Directorate and CBI are investigating him. Congress officers mentioned any motion by the central company towards Rawat sooner or later could be handled as a political witch-hunt.
Harish Rawat’s absence is one more harsh rebuke for the previous CM after his defeat in 2022. The celebration misplaced to the Bharatiya Janata Get together within the meeting polls for the second consecutive 12 months. Many Congressional leaders believed that this was the results of factionalism incited by Congressional veterans. The Harish Rawat faction was main within the polls.
After the disastrous defeat, the celebration despatched a message by appointing Harish Rawat’s brother-in-law Mahara as its chief and placing him on the again burner.
On Tuesday evening, the council additionally shuffled district presidents, promoted younger newcomers and reappointed only a few of the 27.
The celebration is hoping that the brand new stance will assist it mount a problem to the Bharatiya Janata Get together in 2027, including to the dissatisfaction evident among the many folks following the paper leak incident, protests demanding improved well being companies within the hills and, extra lately, protests by staff of Purva Sainik Kalyan Restricted in Uttarakhand searching for regularization.
Get together senior deputy chief Suryakant Dasmana mentioned the excessive command’s resolution “considering the potential and capabilities of senior leaders” will assist “revitalize” the celebration. He additionally predicted that elections could possibly be held earlier, in December 2026, given the Kumbh Mela scheduled for early 2027.
Among the many challenges dealing with the celebration, Mr. Dasmana cited a particular intensive revision of the electoral roll, claiming that “not less than 20 seats within the Tarai area could possibly be affected by the poor and minorities.”
