With the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections approaching, the Congress has stepped up its organisational activities and public outreach programmes to strengthen its position against the ruling BJP, even as factionalism within the state unit continues to pose a challenge to the party’s electoral preparations.
The party is focusing on strengthening its grassroots organisation, mobilising workers across the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, and highlighting issues such as corruption, unemployment, inflation and governance failures to build momentum ahead of the elections. However, internal differences have once again come into focus following former Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s recent statement that he is not in the race for the chief ministerial post if the Congress returns to power in 2027.
Earlier, Rawat said the decision on the chief ministerial face should be left to the party’s central leadership and Rahul Gandhi after the elections. Emphasising that the immediate priority should be winning the polls, he set a target of securing at least 45 of the state’s 70 Assembly seats.
“Our goal is to cross the 45-seat mark. Once the MLAs are elected, the party leadership and Rahul Gandhi will decide who will become the Chief Minister,” Rawat said.
His remarks come amid continuing speculation over his position in the party’s election strategy and his differences with other senior state leaders. Rawat’s independent political activities have previously drawn the attention of the Congress high command. His ‘Dhanyavad evam Jansamvad Yatra’, which continued despite reservations from the party leadership, triggered a public response from Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal on October 6. Venugopal cautioned that the party would not tolerate individual campaigns outside its organisational framework.
The differences were also visible during the November 2 meeting convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi with Uttarakhand leaders to review preparations for the Assembly elections. State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, Pritam Singh, Harak Singh Rawat, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya, state in-charge Kumari Selja and Venugopal attended the meeting, while Harish Rawat remained absent. Godiyal, however, has maintained that the party stands firmly with the former Chief Minister.
Organisational mobilisation
Alongside efforts to manage internal differences, the Congress is preparing an extensive organisational outreach programme across the state. Kumari Selja is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand from November 17 to 23, covering several constituencies in both Kumaon and Garhwal.
The tour will begin in Lohaghat in Champawat district and include Pithoragarh, Didihat, Gangolihat, Kapkot, Bageshwar and Kausani in the Kumaon region. She will subsequently travel through Tharali, Srinagar and Devprayag before reaching Dehradun.
During the visit, Selja is expected to interact with party workers, assess the organisational structure and discuss electoral preparedness at the grassroots level. A crucial meeting with senior party leaders is scheduled for November 22 in Dehradun, where discussions are expected to focus on strengthening the organisation and evolving a coordinated strategy for the 2027 elections.
The Congress is particularly looking to revitalise its presence in the hill constituencies, where local issues, migration, employment and infrastructure are likely to feature prominently in its campaign. The party also intends to use the tour to energise its cadre and establish a stronger connection with voters ahead of the electoral contest.
The state Congress committee has also prepared a framework for rallies by three of its star campaigners. According to party sources, the proposed programmes have been planned to ensure balanced coverage of Garhwal and Kumaon, as well as the plains and mountainous regions. The dates are expected to be announced after approval from the central leadership.
Signature campaign
As part of its parallel public outreach campaign, the Dehradun Metropolitan Congress Committee has launched a statewide signature campaign against Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his ministers, accusing the BJP government of corruption, administrative irregularities and anti-people policies. The campaign aims to mobilise citizens around issues including unemployment, inflation, alleged corruption, administrative failures and the deteriorating law-and-order situation. The party plans to extend the initiative to every ward, block and division in Dehradun to maximise public participation.
Harak Singh Rawat, chairman of the Congress State Election Management Committee, accused the BJP government of failing to fulfil the expectations of the people and said the campaign would provide a platform for citizens to demand accountability.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) Rajendra Bhandari also alleged BJP and told the Sunday Guardian that the state government was attempting to conceal its failures instead of addressing public grievances. He described the signature campaign as a democratic initiative to bring people together against what the party considers failures of the BJP government.
Meanwhile Congress leader Dr Jaswinder Singh Gogi told the publication that the campaign would not remain confined to party offices or political meetings but would be taken directly to residents across the city. He called upon block and divisional presidents, councillors and party workers to ensure widespread participation.
Political pundits believe that with the organisational tour, proposed rallies and anti-government signature campaign, the Congress is seeking to build a sustained political mobilisation well ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. However, the party’s ability to translate these initiatives into electoral gains will also depend on how effectively its leadership manages internal differences and presents a united front against the BJP.