Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Harish Rawat Defies Congress Warning With Uttarakhand Yatra
Harish Rawat is a senior Congress politician in Uttarakhand.
He continued a public trip called a yatra after party leader Kumari Selja asked him not to hold it.
Selja said Rawat had not discussed the trip with her or the state party president.
She was concerned that a separate programme could make Congress appear divided before the 2027 election.
Rawat said he wanted to meet people and help Congress return to power.
His trip began in Jaspur and was planned to pass through several towns before reaching Haldwani.
Some local Congress workers were reported to be taking part.
The disagreement is about how party leaders should coordinate their activities before the election.
Harish Rawat continued his Jaspur-to-Haldwani yatra despite an October 1 request from Congress leader Kumari Selja to stop.
Selja said the programme had not been discussed with her or state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and cited reportedly controversial statements.
She warned that a parallel programme could undermine Congress’s effort to present a united front ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly election.
Rawat described the yatra as an outreach effort and said he was determined to bring Congress back to power in the state.
The yatra began in Jaspur at 11.30 am, with stops planned in Kashipur, Ramnagar and Kaladhungi before Haldwani.
- Who
- Harish Rawat, Kumari Selja and Uttarakhand Congress leaders.
- What
- Rawat continued his yatra despite Selja’s request that he halt independent political programmes.
- When
- Selja’s letter was dated October 1; Rawat’s Jaspur-to-Haldwani leg began on Monday at 11.30 am.
- Where
- The yatra began in Jaspur and was scheduled to pass through Kashipur, Ramnagar and Kaladhungi before reaching Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
- Why
- Rawat said the yatra was for public outreach and to help bring Congress back to power; Selja said an uncoordinated parallel programme could undermine party unity ahead of the 2027 election.
Rawat and Supporters
Congress Leadership
Whether the yatra should proceed
Rawat and Supporters
Rawat continued the yatra, describing it as public dialogue and an effort to bring Congress back to power.
Congress Leadership
Selja asked Rawat not to proceed, saying the yatra had not been coordinated with party leadership.
Effect on the party
Rawat and Supporters
A Rawat-aligned party office-bearer said the yatra was intended to strengthen Congress and had local worker participation and public support.
Congress Leadership
Congress leaders said a parallel programme could make the party appear divided and undermine efforts to present a united front.
- Yatra
- Called the Dhanyawad evam Jansamvad Yatra and the Jan Samvad Yatra in the reports.
- Route
- Jaspur to Haldwani, with stops planned in Kashipur, Ramnagar and Kaladhungi.
- Start
- The Jaspur leg began at 11.30 am on Monday.
- Congress letter
- Kumari Selja’s letter to Rawat was dated October 1.
- Party officials named
- Selja said the yatra had not been discussed with her or state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal.
- Election
- The Uttarakhand Assembly election is due in 2027; one report specifies February.
- Further party action
- One report said Rawat was summoned to Delhi by AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal; another said the party was monitoring his upcoming programmes.
Sources
Kumari Selja asks former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat not to go ahead with political activities in poll year
‘No stopping now’: Harish Rawat defies Congress warning, goes ahead with Uttarakhand yatra
Why Harish Rawat defiance of AICC deals a blow to Uttarakhand Congress on poll eve
