Harish Rawat rules himself out of Uttarakhand CM race, says Rahul Gandhi, Congress leadership will decide

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], November 11 (ANI): Months ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly Elections, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday said he is not in the race for Uttarakhand Chief Minister if the party comes to power in the upcoming polls, emphasising that Congress boasts several other capable leaders.
Speaking to ANI, Rawat stated that the final decision regarding the chief ministerial candidate will rest entirely with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party high command once the assembly election results are declared.
"Congress has several other capable leaders; Rahul Gandhi and the party leadership will decide the CM face if the party wins the 2027 Assembly elections. Our target is to cross the figure of 45. We need 45 MLAs in the Assembly. Once the MLAs are elected, the party leadership and Rahul Gandhi ji will decide who will become the Chief Minister," he said. 
Expressing gratitude toward the party's central leadership, he said that he has already served in top roles within both the state government and the organisation.
"I am grateful to the party for giving me positions in both the government and the organisation according to my capabilities. I have already served in those positions. We have many other capable leaders," he said. 
Rawat, who served as Uttarakhand's Chief Minister from 2014 to 2017, a tenure interrupted by President's Rule in 2016, was earlier a Union Minister in the UPA government, serving as Cabinet Minister for Water Resources.
Congress is gearing up for the Legislative Assembly elections next year. The party is set to deploy its top leadership, National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, into the campaign arena.
The Pradesh Congress Committee has finalised the blueprint for rallies featuring these three star campaigners.
According to the state Congress, the official dates for the rallies will be announced shortly upon receiving approval from the central leadership. The Congress has scheduled the programs for all three leaders by striking a balance across both administrative divisions of the state—Garhwal and Kumaon—as well as the plain and hilly regions.
The entry of these three prominent figures is expected to heat up the electoral atmosphere and boost the morale of party workers, injecting fresh energy into the cadres. Congress is expected to highlight key issues including the Agnipath scheme, unemployment, and women's safety. (ANI)