In a significant organizational overhaul, the Congress party has appointed former MLA Ganesh Godiyal as the new president of its Uttarakhand unit, replacing Karan Mahara whose term had ended in April. The changes announced on Tuesday night are seen as a strategic move by the party to strengthen its position ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly elections.
New Leadership Team Takes Charge
The 59-year-old Godiyal, who previously served as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief until the 2022 Assembly poll defeat, returns to the top position after a three-year gap. His appointment marks a comeback for the seasoned politician who has been associated with the party for decades.
Alongside Godiyal's elevation, the party has made other key appointments. Pritam Singh, the former state Congress chief from 2017 to 2021 and current MLA from Chakrata, has been named the head of the party's campaign committee. In another significant move, former BJP minister Harak Singh Rawat has been appointed as the chairman of the Congress election management committee.
Balancing Caste and Regional Equations
The leadership reshuffle appears carefully designed to address previous criticisms of regional and caste imbalance within the party's state leadership. The previous team had faced accusations of favoring leaders from the Kumaon region, with Mahara (a Thakur), Deputy CLP leader Bhuwan Chandra Kapri (a Brahmin), and CLP Yashpal Arya (from Scheduled Caste) all hailing from that area.
The new appointments create a more balanced representation from both Kumaon and Garhwal regions, covering key caste groups. Godiyal brings Brahmin representation from Garhwal, while Pritam Singh represents the Rajput community from Dehradun's Jaunsar Bawar region, which enjoys Scheduled Tribe status. The party has retained both Arya and Kapri in their positions.
Harish Rawat's Diminished Role
One of the most notable aspects of the reorganization is the limited role assigned to former chief minister and Congress heavyweight Harish Rawat. This development comes despite Godiyal having been a close associate of Rawat in the past.
Reports suggest a fallout between the two leaders since August, when Rawat supported Pritam Singh for the PCC chief position instead of Godiyal. This is the second significant setback for Harish Rawat following the party's 2022 election loss, which many Congress leaders attributed to factionalism allegedly stoked by the veteran leader.
After the dismal 2022 performance, the party had already signaled its intention to reduce Rawat's influence by appointing his brother-in-law Mahara as party chief while pushing Rawat to the background. The latest changes reinforce this trend of sidelining the former CM.
Political Background of Key Appointments
Ganesh Godiyal's political journey includes several notable victories and defeats. He made his electoral debut in 2002 and gained attention by defeating senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. However, he lost to Pokhriyal in the 2007 elections.
In 2012, Godiyal contested from the Srinagar seat and narrowly defeated BJP's Dhan Singh Rawat, but lost to the same opponent in 2017. Appointed as Uttarakhand Congress chief in 2021, he suffered another setback when he lost from Srinagar to Rawat in the 2022 Assembly elections, leading to his replacement by Mahara.
Following his reinstatement, Godiyal expressed gratitude to party workers and vowed to establish a government that would end what he called "the culture of corruption." He criticized the current state government for operating with "an attitude of dictatorship and corruption" and promised to work for the betterment of the state and its people.
Controversial Appointment and Challenges Ahead
The appointment of Harak Singh Rawat as election management committee chairman may generate controversy, given his involvement in the forest tree felling and illegal construction cases in the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Both the Enforcement Directorate and CBI are currently investigating these cases.
Congress sources indicated that any action by central agencies against Rawat would now be portrayed as a political witch-hunt aimed at undermining the party's preparations for the upcoming elections.
The party has also undertaken a comprehensive reshuffle of its district presidents, promoting new, young faces while retaining only a few of the previous 27 office-bearers. This generational shift is part of the party's broader strategy to rejuvenate its organizational structure.
Election Strategy and Public Sentiment
Congress leaders believe the new leadership team, combined with visible public discontent over various issues, could help the party mount a serious challenge to the BJP in 2027. Key concerns include paper leak incidents, protests demanding better health services in hill areas, and recent demonstrations by Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Limited workers seeking regularization of their jobs.
Party senior vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana expressed confidence that the high command's decisions, taken after "weighing in the potential and competence of senior leaders," would help rejuvenate the party. He also speculated that elections might be held earlier, possibly in December 2026, due to the Kumbh Mela scheduled for early 2027.
Among the immediate challenges facing the party is the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dhasmana claimed that "the poor and minorities in at least 20 seats in the Terai region might be affected" by this process, indicating another potential area of political contention.
The organizational changes represent Congress's attempt to present a united, balanced, and rejuvenated face to Uttarakhand voters as it prepares for the next electoral battle, while simultaneously addressing internal factionalism and regional representation issues that have plagued the party in recent years.
