KHATIMA NEWS
Dehradun
A 23-year-old case involving Jenny and former minister Harak Singh Rawat has resurfaced in Uttarakhand politics. The controversy began as a BJP attack during Congress’s campaign over the Ankita Bhandari case, but Jenny’s fresh allegations and demand for a renewed CBI probe have shifted attention toward investigation and accountability.
Dehradun
Jenny has renewed allegations against Harak Singh Rawat and questioned how the CBI investigation was handled in her 23-year-old case. She is seeking a DNA test for her 23-year-old son, while the case again becomes part of a political dispute between Congress and the BJP in Uttarakhand.
Dehradun
Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged voters to support a third BJP government in Uttarakhand during a state foundation day event in Dehradun. He set the party a target of winning more than 65 seats in the next Assembly election and attacked Congress over corruption, development and the statehood movement.
Nainital
Former Nainital MLA and senior Uttarakhand Kranti Dal leader Dr Narayan Singh Jantwal died in Delhi while receiving treatment after being unwell for some time. A statehood activist and former party central president, he represented Nainital in the 2002 Assembly election and raised regional development and public-interest concerns.
Dehradun
Jenny is holding a press conference in Dehradun over the controversy linked to a 2003 case involving Harak Singh Rawat. She says Uttarakhand leaders have used her name for political attacks, made damaging comments and failed to ask what happened to her. She says she will present her account with evidence.
Dehradun
The BJP’s Uttarakhand social media handles are releasing AI-generated videos featuring senior Congress leaders as political campaigning intensifies before the next assembly elections. The short clips use reality-show visuals, music and exaggerated drama to portray internal conflict, while Congress has accused the ruling party of avoiding issues such as corruption and crime.
Dehradun
Former Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat has challenged BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt to undergo a DNA test after Bhatt renewed questions about the father of Jenny’s child. Rawat says his own DNA test was completed during the CBI investigation and that the result cleared him.
Nainital
BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Ram Madhav visited Kashipur and Haldwani on Sunday and held separate meetings with presidents of the party’s 8 Kumaon organisational districts. The discussions focused on organisational activity, public sentiment toward the state government, local challenges and possible election candidates, according to people familiar with the meetings.
Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal has announced its first 16 candidates for the 2027 Assembly election, including former legislators Kashi Singh Airy and Pushpesh Tripathi. The regional party is contesting seats across Garhwal and Kumaon as it seeks to rebuild its organisation and regain political relevance in Uttarakhand.
Others
A felicitation rally for Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya in Someshwar became a political confrontation after Congress workers waved black flags and burnt effigies of the CM and the minister. Arya became emotional during her address and responded by asking Congress to account for its own tenure.
Dehradun
The Dixit Commission examined Gairsain, Dehradun, Kashipur, Ramnagar and Rishikesh before recommending Dehradun as the strongest option. Its 2008 report cited connectivity, water, land, earthquake risk and environmental concerns, but the permanent-capital debate remains unresolved despite Gairsain becoming Uttarakhand’s summer capital in 2020.
Bageshwar
The Bageshwar District Congress Committee has demanded Minister Rekha Arya’s removal until an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving 210 crore is completed. Congress workers protested at SBI Tiraha, while party leaders called for an impartial inquiry, accountability and action against anyone found responsible.
Others
The Uttarakhand government says Gairsain, also known as Bhararisain, hosted 2 Assembly sessions in a single year for the first time in the state’s history. It described the move as a commitment to the region’s development and public sentiment, while accusing the opposition of repeatedly disrupting proceedings instead of raising public issues.
Almora
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal has criticised the use of a water cannon against its workers during the Assembly session in Gairsain. At a Wednesday press conference in Almora, party leader Kashi Singh Airy said the protesters were seeking to submit a memorandum on permanent capital status, jobs, domicile rights and stronger land laws.
Others
BJP leader Madhu Chauhan said in Gairsain that party workers burned a Congress effigy after an audio clip allegedly involving 2 brothers of Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh surfaced. He accused the speaker of intimidation and predicted that more families would oppose the Congress in the constituency.
Chamoli
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami thanked the Speaker, Assembly Secretariat, government staff, police and media after the state Assembly’s final session of its 5-year term in Bhararisain, Chamoli. He said the Assembly met for the highest number of days during the term despite difficult travel and weather conditions.
Others
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal accused the state government of failing to meet public expectations and alleged political, social and economic oppression. His remarks came as Congress prepared a protest over inflation, unemployment and other issues, with reports later saying police used water cannons near the Assembly.
Others
The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly is set to convene on October 27, with Congress and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal leaders announcing plans to gherao the Assembly in protest against the state government. Authorities have tightened security around the premises ahead of the session, while a supplementary budget is expected to be presented.
Dehradun
Congress Campaign Committee Chairman and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh said the party would form the Uttarakhand government in 2027 while addressing supporters during the Nyay Yatra in Dehradun’s Cantt Assembly constituency. He also raised allegations involving law and order, corruption, the Ankita Bhandari murder case and electoral rolls.
Khatima
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has criticised remarks describing people from the state as “infiltrators” and asked Congress leaders in Uttarakhand to clarify whether they agree. In Khatima, he also recalled police-firing incidents associated with the tenure of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Almora
Uttarakhand Assembly Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya accused the BJP of corruption and alleged the sale of more than 7,000 bighas of land. Speaking in Almora, the Congress leader said senior party members had gathered at Golju Dev’s sacred land and would continue their ‘Nyay Yatra’ seeking justice.
Dehradun
The BJP is set to welcome senior leaders from different political parties at its Dehradun headquarters on Thursday, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state president Mahendra Bhatt present. The planned inductions come as the party strengthens its organisation and local political networks ahead of Uttarakhand’s 2027 Assembly election.
Haridwar
Roorkee’s 2027 assembly contest is shaping up around a familiar political face and unresolved civic problems. BJP legislator and Cabinet minister Pradeep Batra highlights roads, bridges, water supply and cleanliness, while opponents and residents point to waterlogging, traffic, drainage, healthcare, education and the deteriorating bus stand.
Others
Ram Sharan Nautiyal has joined the Congress in Delhi after leaving the BJP, according to reports published on 19 October 2026. Congress general secretary Kumari Selja welcomed his return and alleged widespread public resentment, corruption and a lack of justice in Uttarakhand while inviting others who support the party’s ideology to join.
Others
Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal has claimed that public sentiment in the state is shifting towards the Congress. Speaking in Delhi, he said prominent figures were interested in joining the party and that common people had decided they wanted change, though he provided no supporting figures or names.
Others
Former BJP leader Ramsharan Nautiyal has joined the Congress in Delhi, drawing a welcome from Uttarakhand Opposition Leader Yashpal Arya. Arya said Nautiyal’s political experience would strengthen the party, while reports identified him as the father of singer Jubin Nautiyal and said he had recently left the BJP.
Rudraprayag
Rudraprayag district panchayat member Gyalu Lal has announced his return to Congress after briefly joining the BJP. At a press conference, he said he spent only half an hour in the BJP, regretted the decision and declared that he would remain a Congressman for life, intensifying local political activity after the DPC election.
Champawat
Congress district president Chirag Fartyal said police kept him under house arrest at his Bishang residence during Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s visit to Champawat. Police were deployed outside his home from 5:00 in the morning until the programme ended, prompting Fartyal to warn of protests at future venues.
Dehradun
Congress leader Kumari Selja said in Dehradun that her party would continue raising Ankita Bhandari’s case and supporting daughters in Uttarakhand who have faced similar incidents. She also backed Rahul Gandhi’s political campaign on alleged vote theft and said the INDIA bloc would fight the issue ahead of elections.
Dehradun
Girdhari Lal Sahu has released a video after Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya filed an FIR against him. He denied the allegations, called an audio recording presented by the minister AI-generated and fake, and asked Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to order an investigation into his claims against Arya.
Rudraprayag
Congress in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district has suffered its second leadership setback in a week after Chopta-area leader Sampan Negi joined the BJP. The move follows Gyaloo Lal’s earlier departure and comes before the 2027 Assembly election, adding to political uncertainty amid ongoing changes in district panchayat politics.
Dehradun
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya has registered an FIR against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu alias Pappu Girdhari, at Dehradun’s Cantt Police Station. Her complaint alleges a threat to her life and the lives of her minor children, along with abuse, forgery, cheating and other offences.
Nainital
Congress MLA Sumit Hridayesh has alleged that a gang is tapping the phones of him and his family and plotting to ruin and kill him. He said he filed a named complaint with the then SSP on 24 April 2025 but claimed no action followed, and warned of self-immolation during the Gairsain Assembly session.
Dehradun
The Uttarakhand BJP has announced assembly in-charges for all 70 constituencies ahead of the 2027 elections. The move, approved by state president Mahendra Bhatt, is intended to strengthen organisation at the local and booth levels, coordinate meetings, address local dissatisfaction and connect government schemes with voters.
Others
Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the letter reflects the party’s hope that Harish Rawat will guide its leadership before the elections.
Uttarkashi
Lokendra Singh Bisht has announced his bid for the Gangotri Assembly seat in the upcoming 2026 election. Beginning his campaign from Gangotri Dham, he is presenting earlier public-interest campaigns, legal challenges and regional development concerns as the foundation for his political outreach across the constituency.
Dehradun
Around 60 BJP workers from the Chakrata assembly area returned from the party’s Dehradun state office on Monday without joining. The proposed induction followed a protest over alleged neglect of workers in development schemes, while minister Khajan Das opposed the programme after learning that the group had arrived.
Haridwar
Haridwar Rural MLA Anupama Rawat led residents from Aryanagar Goth to Mangolpura Tiraha on Wednesday, demanding action on a proposed swing bridge over the Rawasan River. She said the first instalment for the project was released in 2021-22, but construction has yet to begin after nearly 4 years.
Kotdwar
At a conference in Nagwan Khāl, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) welcomed over 40 villagers into its fold as part of a membership drive, with leaders targeting both BJP and Congress amid calls for change ahead of the assembly polls.
