Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Rawat Defies Congress Directive With March in Kumaon
Harish Rawat, a senior Congress leader in Uttarakhand, led a march in Jaspur.
He did this even though party leader Kumari Selja had asked him not to hold a separate programme.
Selja said the party should show unity before upcoming assembly elections.
Rawat said he did not understand how his march was harming the party, especially since he said no public outreach campaign was happening across the state.
He plans to explain his decision to party leaders in Delhi.
Selja has arranged to meet him on October 7 at 7 pm.
Other Congress leaders and party workers joined the march.
Rawat said he wants to help remove BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat led a march in Jaspur on Monday despite a Congress High Command directive against parallel programmes.
Congress general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja had urged Rawat not to proceed, saying the party needed to present a united front ahead of assembly elections.
Rawat said he would explain his position to party leadership in Delhi, and that Selja had scheduled a meeting with him for October 7 at 7 pm.
Rawat questioned how his Dhanyavad evam Jansamvad Yatra could undermine party programmes, saying no organised public outreach campaign was visible in the state.
The march drew Congress leaders and workers, including Pritam Singh and Jaspur MLA Aadesh Chauhan; Rawat said its aim was to oust BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
- Who
- Harish Rawat led the march; Congress leaders and workers, including Pritam Singh and Aadesh Chauhan, participated.
- What
- Rawat held a Dhanyavad evam Jansamvad Yatra despite a party directive against parallel programmes.
- When
- The march took place on Monday; Rawat said he would meet party leadership on October 7 at 7 pm.
- Where
- Jaspur, in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand.
- Why
- Rawat said the march aimed to strengthen workers and work toward ousting BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh; party leadership had asked him not to hold a parallel programme.
Rawat's position
Party leadership's position
Whether to hold the march
Rawat's position
Rawat said he could not see how his yatra was affecting party programmes and argued that no organised public outreach campaign was visible across the state.
Party leadership's position
Kumari Selja advised Rawat not to proceed, saying a parallel programme was not in the party's interest and that Congress needed to present a united front before assembly elections.
Effect on party workers and unity
Rawat's position
Rawat said the march boosted workers' morale and that key Congress figures participated in some capacity.
Party leadership's position
Selja's letter warned that a separate programme could run counter to the party's interest at that time.
- March location
- Jaspur, Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand
- March name
- Dhanyavad evam Jansamvad Yatra
- Party directive
- Kumari Selja advised Rawat against proceeding with the programme, saying the party needed to present a united front.
- Scheduled meeting
- October 7 at 7 pm, according to Rawat
- Meeting location
- Delhi
- Stated objective
- Rawat said he wanted to work toward ousting BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
- Named participants
- Pritam Singh and Jaspur MLA Aadesh Chauhan were among those who participated.