By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Ahead of the 2027 assembly elections in Uttarakhand, two former BJP MLAs along with a host of other leaders on Saturday joined Congress party in New Delhi.
Those who joined Congress include Rajkumar Thukral, Bheemlal Arya and Narayan Pal (all former MLAs). Besides, former Roorkee Mayor Gaurav Goel, Anuj Gupta, and former Block Pramukh Lakhan Singh Negi also joined Congress at the party headquarters in New Delhi in presence of top leaders.
Thukral and Arya were denied tickets in the last assembly polls. Arya, who was suspended from BJP a decade ago for anti-party activities, had unsuccessfully contested assembly election from Ghansali in 2022 as independent candidate. Just like Arya, Thukral had quit BJP and contested 2022 assembly elections from Rudrapur as independent candidate and stood third. Narayan Pal is two-time former BSP MLA from Sitarganj.
“Today, the people of Uttarakhand—weary of the BJP’s misrule—are looking toward the Congress with full hope. This alliance represents not merely the act of joining the party, but a firm resolve to strengthen the ideology of public service, development, and the public interest,” said Ganesh Godiyal in a statement on social media.
“We extend a heartfelt welcome to all our new colleagues joining the Congress family and express our confidence that their experience and dedication will further strengthen the organization,” Godiyal said. “Now our resolve to form a Congress government in Uttarakhand in 2027 has become even more powerful,” he said.
Since 2016, Congress has suffered a series of setbacks as more than a dozen top party leaders including former state chiefs Yashpal Arya and Kishore Upadhayay joined BJP. But in 2022 just before the assembly elections, Arya rejoined Congress for which he was rewarded the post of the leader of the opposition. After Arya, Harak Singh Rawat, who was denied ticket by BJP in 2022, rejoined Congress.
The Congress observers said with the joining of three former MLAs, Congress has strengthened its position in Udhamsingh Nagar district.