By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
At a young age of 32, Congress leader Harish Rawat sprang a surprise when he defeated BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi from Almora in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections.
When BJP was ruling the roost in Uttarakhand in 2002, Rawat led Congress to an astonishing victory in the assembly elections.
These are the excerpts from a documentary titled Uttarakhandiyat Ki Ore (Towards Uttarakhandiat) based on the political journey of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat which was released on Saturday.
The film was jointly unveiled by former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal, former Uttarakhand Kranti Dal chief Kashi Singh Airy and others.
The documentary traces Rawat’s political journey from grassroots politics at the gram sabha level to becoming Union Minister and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. It highlights his early struggles, his low-budget Block Chief election campaign, victory over senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi in the 1980s parliamentary election, and his role in the Youth Congress, Seva Dal and trade union movements.
Speaking on the occasion, Godiyal said Rawat’s life and struggles were an inspiration for the younger generation and that the state should benefit from his long political experience and commitment to Uttarakhand.
Rawat thanked party leaders, legislators and supporters for attending the event and said public trust and affection remained his greatest strength. He reaffirmed his commitment to public welfare and the development of Uttarakhand.