PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Senior BJP leader and Dharampur MLA Vinod Chamoli said that the Congress party’s decision to sideline former chief minister Harish Rawat from its new organisational setup may prove beneficial for the party in the long run but will certainly be good for Uttarakhand if Rawat decides to retire from active politics. He added, “It is true that Congress will sit in the Opposition after the 2027 Vidhan Sabha elections but it is also important to have a strong and effective opposition in the State.” The All India Congress Committee (AICC) late on Tuesday announced a major revamp of the party’s organisation in Uttarakhand. The party replaced State president Karan Mahara with senior leader Ganesh Godiyal. In a letter issued by party general secretary KC Venugopal, Chakrata MLA and former State president Pritam Singh was appointed chairman of the election campaign committee, while former cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat was named chairman of the election management committee. Rawat’s name was not included in the list, a development that BJP leaders have highlighted as a sign of internal change within the Congress. Chamoli said that the Congress high command now realises that Rawat has not contributed significantly to the State since its formation. He claimed that Rawat’s actions in the past alienated the Brahmin community from the Congress. According to Chamoli, Rawat allegedly made it difficult for Uttarakhand’s first chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari to function smoothly during his tenure. He also claimed that Rawat created similar challenges for another Brahmin former CM Vijay Bahuguna, forcing him to resign from both the post and the party. Chamoli said that Rawat consistently targeted Brahmin leaders within the Congress, which contributed to the community’s distance from the party. He added that the Congress high command now appears to recognise this pattern and has therefore chosen to sideline Rawat while restructuring its organisation in the State.
