Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Congress announced on Tuesday that its 'Uttarakhand Nyay Yatra' will begin on October 22, with four contingents travelling through different parts of the state to press the BJP government's 'anti-people policies' and public issues ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
The first contingent will start from the Golju Temple in Almora on October 22, led jointly by Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya and former chief minister Harish Rawat. It will travel through Ranikhet, Khairna, Bhawali and Bhimtal to reach Haldwani. The second contingent, led by state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, MLA Vikram Singh Negi and MLA Lakhpat Singh Butola, will begin from Badrinath Dham.
The third contingent, led by former state Congress president Pritam Singh and former MLA Jot Singh Gunsola, will start from the Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Dehradun. The fourth, led by election management committee chairman Harak Singh and several MLAs, will begin from Haridwar. A preparatory meeting for a proposed Vidhan Sabha Gherao in Gairsain is scheduled for October 26.
Separately, senior BJP leader and former Dehradun district panchayat president Ram Sharan Nautiyal joined the Congress on Monday. He is the father of singer Jubin Nautiyal. AICC national secretary Kumari Selja, state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya inducted him.
Nautiyal joined the BJP in 2014 and was the party's candidate from the Chakrata constituency in 2022, where he finished second. He is seen as influential in the seat. 'I asked for no assurances; I am dedicating myself to the party's work of my own accord,' he said.
Selja said he had felt stifled in the BJP and was disillusioned by its atmosphere and style of working.