CJP, Congress push to restore protests at Jantar Mantar amid arrest of leaders

The upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly elections in February 2027 will determine whether the Congress can challenge the BJP, which won 47 out of the state's 70 seats in the 2022 polls. Current Congress President Ganesh Godiyal faces the challenge of leading a faction-ridden party into the polls, which are being influenced by factors such as "anti-incumbency," unemployment, migration, corruption, and the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Godiyal's party plans to focus on unemployment, government authoritarianism, and corruption as the main issues in the elections. They argue that unemployment has increased substantially under the BJP's 10-year rule, and that the party should have prioritized employment creation once infrastructure development was completed. Regarding the Ankita Bhandari case, Godiyal accuses the BJP of protecting its leaders and calls for a proper investigation.

On the Agnipath scheme, the Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, has pledged to abolish it if the party comes to power. They also aim to restore the Old Pension Scheme. The party has promised to address these issues in their election manifesto.

Despite logistical challenges, around 2,500 to 3,000 young protesters from Uttarakhand joined protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Godiyal emphasizes the party's commitment to transparency, people-oriented governance, and ensuring that their actions match their words. He also believes they can win around 50 seats, a comfortable majority, and questions the BJP's alleged plan to win 60 seats.