Congress appoints 27 new district presidents in Uttarakhand

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The All India Congress Committee has appointed 27 new District Congress Committee presidents across Uttarakhand with immediate effect, marking a significant organisational overhaul under the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan.

The decision, approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and announced through a press release by General Secretary KC Venugopal on Tuesday, follows an extensive consultative process involving AICC observers, district-level reviews, and one-to-one discussions with senior leaders.

The appointments cover every district and key urban centres in the state, blending experienced party workers with fresh faces to strengthen grassroots presence ahead of future electoral battles.

Bhupendra Singh Bhoj takes charge in Almora, while Arjun Chandra Bhatt assumes leadership in Bageshwar. Suresh Dimri has been named president for Chamoli, and Chirag Singh Fartyal for Champawat. In Dehradun City, Dr Jasvinder Singh Gogi will head the committee, with Govind Singh Bisht assigned to Haldwani City.

Urban constituencies see notable inclusions with Alka Pal appointed in Kashipur City and Mamta Rani in Rudrapur City. Uttam Aswal will lead in Devprayag, and Manohar Singh Tolia in Didihat. Haridwar district goes to Baleshwar Singh, while Aman Garg takes the city unit. Vikas Negi and Meena Devi have been entrusted with Kotdwar and Kotdwar City, respectively.

Rahul Chhimwal assumes responsibility for Nainital, followed by Sanjay Kishore in Pacchwadoon and Mohit Uniyal in Parwadoon. Vinod Singh Negi will steer Pauri Garhwal, Mukesh Pant Pithoragarh, and Dinesh Chouhan Purola. Deepak Kirola heads Ranikhet, Furkan Ahmed Roorkee, and Rajendra Kumar Chaudhary Roorkee City. Kuldeep Kandari takes Rudraprayag, Murari Lal Khandwal Tehri Garhwal, Himanshu Gaba Udhamsingh Nagar, and Pradeep Singh Rawat Uttarkashi.

The restructuring comes at a crucial juncture as the Congress seeks to rebuild its organisational machinery in Uttarakhand, where it has faced electoral setbacks in recent years.

The AICC has directed the newly appointed presidents to immediately constitute block and mandal committees while initiating membership drives. Regular performance reviews will be conducted to ensure accountability. This organisational reset signals the Congress high command’s intent to reclaim lost ground in hill states through structured revival rather than ad-hoc interventions.

The “Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan,” launched to revitalise state units nationwide, emphasises merit-based selections through observer reports and stakeholder feedback. Each AICC observer conducted on-ground assessments, engaging block-level functionaries, former legislators, and local influencers before finalising recommendations.

Party sources indicate that the new appointees reflect a balance between loyalty, mass connect, and administrative capability, with several district presidents drawn from youth and women wings. The move is expected to energise booth-level operations and improve coordination between state leadership and grassroots workers.

With Assembly elections still a few years away, the Congress aims to use this window to expand its voter base, particularly in rural Kumaon and Garhwal regions, where the BJP currently dominates.

--IANS

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