New Delhi, Oct 19 — Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of singer Jubin Nautiyal, rejoined the Congress at the party headquarters here on Monday, days after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Nautiyal makes his re-entry into the Congress, which he left in 2014. His move comes months ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, as political parties begin preparing for the crucial electoral contest in the hill state.
He joined the party in the presence of Congress leaders, including Uttarakhand Congress in-charge Kumari Selja, Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya, and state Congress unit President Ganesh Godiyal.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion, Selja criticised the prevailing political situation in Uttarakhand and raised concerns over the state of democracy in the country.
"Everyone knows what the current situation in Uttarakhand is like. Democracy is being shredded across the entire country, be it the SIR issue, the role of the Chief Election Commissioner or the conduct of the Election Commission of India. Our leader Rahul Gandhi has been consistently speaking out about 'vote theft', " Selja said.
She also brought up the recent controversy involving Uttarakhand Minister Rekha Arya and her husband. Questioning the state government’s response to the matter, Selja asked why Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was "shielding" Arya when her husband had levelled corruption allegations against her.
On Nautiyal's decision to return to the Congress, Selja said he had become "dissatisfied" with the BJP's working environment and organisational approach and hence decided to rejoin the Congress.
Speaking to IANS after joining the Congress, Nautiyal said he had decided to work for the party without seeking any specific assurance or commitment in return.
"I decided to join the party and work for it... I have not taken any commitment from the party; I have committed to give my fullest to the party," he said.
State unit President Godiyal welcomed Nautiyal's induction, saying his return would "further strengthen" the party in the state. He added that Nautiyal's specific role and responsibilities within the organisation would be decided at a later stage.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Arya also welcomed Nautiyal's return, describing it as a homecoming.
"Ramsharan Nautiyal has traditionally been aligned with the Congress ideology and has played an important role in the party over the past several decades. He has served as the former Chairman of the Dehradun District Panchayat and held the responsibilities of General Secretary and Vice President in the Uttarakhand Congress. His return to the party is certainly a homecoming, and this is a welcome occasion," Arya told IANS.