‘No Base, No Vote’: Karnaprayag Villagers Begin 200-km March to Dehradun Over Unfulfilled Hospital Promise…
Just before the 2027 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political difficulties appear to be increasing in the Karnaprayag Assembly constituency in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. The BJP has long dominated the Karnaprayag Assembly constituency, but this time, the party is facing opposition from its own people ahead of the elections. Local residents are experiencing widespread anger over the long-pending granting of full-fledged status to Simli Base Hospital, the deployment of teachers in schools in the Nainisain area, and the government’s unfulfilled promises. Following this, villagers have now launched a direct campaign against the government.Under the banner of the Simli Base Hospital Sangharsh Samiti, hundreds of villagers from over 50 villages in the area have declared a do-or-die battle against the government, demanding the full operation of Simli Base Hospital.With the slogan “No base, no vote,” villagers and a large number of women have begun a 200-kilometer long walk from Simli to Dehradun. These protesters are covering approximately 30 to 40 kilometers daily. The protesters plan to reach the capital, Dehradun, on October 20, 2026, and surround the Chief Minister’s residence. The Simli Base Hospital Sangharsh Samiti states that nearly 12 years have passed since the hospital building was constructed, but it has not yet received full-fledged base hospital status and basic healthcare facilities (such as specialist doctors, equipment, and diagnostic facilities). Although Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced its full-fledged status from Gairsain on November 9, 2024, almost two years later, a government mandate (GO) has not yet been issued. Meanwhile, teacher positions in government schools in Nainisain and surrounding areas have remained vacant for a long time. One of the major reasons for migration from the mountains is this level of education, due to which there is huge resentment among the youth and parents.
BJP Appoints Ram Madhav as Uttarakhand In-Charge, Bansuri Swaraj Named Co-In-Charge Ahead of 2027 Polls…
In a significant organizational announcement made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Naveen on September 23, 2026, a major change has been made in the top leadership of the Uttarakhand BJP organization. The party has deployed a new core team in view of the 2027 state assembly elections. In this major organizational change, new in-charges and co-in-charges have been appointed for states and union territories. The party has removed Dushyant Gautam, who has been embroiled in controversy, and appointed senior state in-charge Ram Madhav as the new state in-charge. Co-in-charges have also been changed. Co-in-charge Rekha Verma has been removed from the Uttarakhand organization. Rekha Verma has now been appointed co-in-charge for Madhya Pradesh. The party has also appointed Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj, Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi and former Union Minister, and Arvind Menon as co-in-charges for the state. Arvind Menon has experience in electoral strategy in complex states like West Bengal. The newly appointed state in-charge, Ram Madhav, has extensive organizational experience in leading the party to electoral victories in the northeastern states, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir, which the party hopes will benefit the party in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. Ram Madhav has extensive organizational experience in leading the party to electoral victories in the northeastern states, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir, which the party hopes will benefit the party in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. According to reports, this entire exercise has been undertaken to strengthen the grassroots organization for the 2027 assembly elections. This new team, in collaboration with Uttarakhand BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami‘s government, will now work on a strategy to achieve a “hat-trick” of victories, i.e., forming a third consecutive government in the state.