New Delhi, March 28 The Congress gained momentum in Uttarakhand on Saturday as six senior leaders, including three former state MLAs, joined the party here in the presence of the party's general secretary and state in-charge, Kumari Selja.
Rajkumar Thukral, Narayan Pal, Bhimlal Arya, Gaurav Goyal, Lakhan Singh, and Anuj Gupta were inducted into the Congress at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office.
Addressing the press conference, AICC general secretary Selja said that the BJP is in a difficult position due to "allegations of corruption" and the widespread support received by the protests organized by the Congress.
By joining the Congress, the six leaders have expressed their faith in the leadership of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, she said.
Selja said that public trust in the Congress is increasing amid growing dissatisfaction with the BJP government in Uttarakhand, alleging widespread corruption under the BJP rule.
Selja said that efforts to "improve" the image of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had failed, and the "true image" of the leadership is now being revealed to the people.
The senior Congress leader expressed confidence that the party would achieve positive electoral gains as support from the people of Uttarakhand continues to grow.
Rajkumar Thukral has been a two-time BJP MLA and Nagar Palika chairman of Rudrapur, Narayan Pal has also been a two-time BSP MLA from Sitarganj, while Bhim Lal Arya has been a BJP MLA from Ghansal from 2012 to 2017.
Former Roorkie mayor Gaurav Goyal and Lakhan Singh from Bhimtal, who has been a block president and whose wife is a sitting Zila Panchayat member, are also among those who joined the party.
Besides, Anuj Gupta, a former chairman of the Mussoorie Municipal Council, has also joined the party.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Yashpal Arya, chairman of the election campaign committee of Uttarakhand Congress Pritam Singh, head of the election management committee of Uttarakhand Congress Harak Singh Rawat, and former PCC president Karan Mahara were also present on the occasion.
Qazi Nizamuddin (Delhi Congress in-charge), Gurdeep Sappal (permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee), and Surendra Sharma and Manoj Yadav (co-in-charges for Uttarakhand Congress) were also present.
Godiyal said this development is a direct result of the growing public confidence in the Congress. He noted that the people of Uttarakhand are looking towards the Congress with hope, and leaders from various political parties are keen to join its ranks.
He affirmed that all party leaders would work collectively to ensure the formation of a Congress government in the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections.
Yashpal Arya, the Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, characterized the BJP government as "arrogant" and said that the induction of prominent leaders with a strong grassroots base into the Congress is a clear indication of impending change in the state.
He remarked that the people of the state are enduring severe hardships of unemployment, inflation, and migration under the BJP rule.