High-winnability candidates to get priority in 2027 polls: Congress

Dehradun: Following back-to-back defeats in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, the Congress has stepped up its activities ahead of the 2027 polls. The party has begun election preparations after assigning poll-related responsibilities to four senior leaders: Pritam Singh, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Ganesh Godiyal.At present, Congress has 20 MLAs in the 70-member state assembly, while the BJP, with 47 lawmakers, has more than double the strength of the opposition. In 2017, Congress had managed only 11 seats as the BJP swept the polls. The 2022 election was the first time a party successfully retained power in Uttarakhand.To break the BJP's winning streak, Congress is working on multiple strategies, including giving preference to youth, women and candidates with a strong winnability quotient.Former minister and chairman of the Congress election management committee, Harak Singh Rawat, said, "Seniority would no longer be the sole criterion for ticket allocation. Even senior leaders should not consider their tickets confirmed. We are identifying candidates who have a strong chance of winning."Dismissing claims by some leaders that their tickets were assured, Rawat added, "Even my own ticket is not confirmed. Tickets will be distributed only after a detailed assessment."