As political momentum builds up ahead of upcoming elections in Uttarakhand, former chief minister Harish Rawat finds himself squarely in the spotlight once again. Regardless of the internal balancing acts within the Congress party, the Bharatiya Janata Party appears keenly invested in keeping Rawat prominent in the public discourse. This calculated approach stems not merely from his individual prominence, but from the intersection of Congress's past record in the state and the BJP's overarching electoral narrative.
The Sole Remaining Face of Past Congress Rule
The BJP has governed Uttarakhand continuously for the last 10 years, mirroring the 10 years that Congress previously spent in power across the hill state. To scrutinize and challenge that past Congress tenure, the ruling party requires an active and visible political figurehead. Former chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari is no longer alive, while Vijay Bahuguna switched allegiances to join the BJP years ago. Consequently, Harish Rawat remains the only prominent political figure from that era still actively leading the Congress ranks. The policy choices, controversies, and administrative allegations surrounding his two-and-a-half-year stint as chief minister offer the BJP an easy handle to attack the opposition. The more visible and vocal Rawat remains, the easier it becomes for the BJP to tether Congress's past governance directly to contemporary election debates.
Lessons from the 2022 Campaign Playbook
The 2022 assembly elections served as a clear demonstration of this dynamic. During that campaign, the BJP aggressively targeted Harish Rawat over the contentious Muslim University issue, successfully steering the election narrative away from local anti-incumbency and placing Congress on the defensive. Congress leaders are well aware of this mathematical posturing. The party argues that Rawat is an established mass leader whose widespread appeal makes the BJP politically uneasy, which is why attacks against him escalate predictably whenever polling day approaches.
Narrative Control in the Run-Up to the Polls
With another election cycle drawing nearer, Rawat's public presence has once again taken center stage. The BJP views his continued prominence as valuable political leverage, ensuring that reminders of Congress's decade-old governance remain fresh in the minds of voters. Ultimately, the question in an election season is no longer just how much prominence the Congress leadership decides to give Harish Rawat, but also how strategically the BJP positions him at the very core of its campaign battleground.
