By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Back in Uttarakhand after recovering from ill health, veteran Congress leader and former chief minister Harish Rawat has signalled his desire to return to electoral politics from Haridwar, saying he would like to contest the Assembly election from any constituency in the district.
In a social media post, Rawat (78) said his “romance” with Haridwar has only grown with age and recalled his stint as the Lok Sabha representative from Haridwar between 2009 and 2014 as the “golden period” of his political life.
“My heart is expressing a desire — can I not represent Haridwar once again?,” Rawat asked adding that he had “a lot of thoughts and planning” for Haridwar and wanted to contribute to building the district as a pillar of Uttarakhand.
Rawat said people on the Haridwar side of the Solani river also wanted to see him in the state assembly from the district.
At the same time, the former chief minister stopped short of announcing his candidature, saying that when he considers the larger issues facing the state, including internal party matters, he has to restrain his personal aspirations.
He said he could nevertheless work to ensure that a “strong, sensible and consensus-building leadership” from Haridwar reaches the Assembly.
Rawat, however, made clear that his association with Haridwar would continue. “As long as I have breath, I will continue to serve Haridwar, even if it is like ‘patram pushpam’,” he said, adding that his affection for Haridwar had never been hidden and would remain “openly” expressed.
Rawat returned to Dehradun from New Delhi recently after recovering from illness and received a warm welcome from supporters. His latest remarks are likely to add a fresh dimension to the Congress’s preparations for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, particularly its choices in Haridwar.
Meanwhile, Congress state President Ganesh Godiyal on Friday called on Rawat at his home in Dehradun. The meeting assumes significance in views of Rawat’s desire to contest assembly election.
