Dehradun/Haridwar – As the 2027 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly election approaches, political calculations in Haridwar district are intensifying, particularly around the Khanpur constituency.
Harish Rawat’s Haridwar Outreach Fuels Speculation
Former chief minister Harish Rawat has hinted at contesting the 2027 polls from somewhere within Haridwar district. Recent social‑media activity and the launch of his proposed Jan Samvad initiative, which spotlights Khanpur, have amplified talk that Rawat may set his sights on this seat. While he has not officially named Khanpur as his constituency, the signal is clear.
Rawat’s connection to Haridwar runs deep: he previously represented the city in the Lok Sabha and, in 2017, contested two assembly seats – Haridwar Rural and Kichha – losing both. This historic link makes his renewed interest in Khanpur noteworthy.
2022 Election Snapshot: Independent Umesh Kumar’s Victory
The current MLA from Khanpur, independent candidate Umesh Kumar, won the 2022 assembly poll with 38,767 votes, beating BSP contender Ravindra Singh, who secured 31,915 votes. BJP’s Kunwarani Devyani Singh followed closely with 30,834 votes, while the Congress candidate managed only 6,289. Kumar’s margin of victory was 6,852 votes, highlighting the constituency’s competitive nature.
Historical Context: The 2016 Sting Operation
The Rawat‑Kumar relationship also stretches back to the 2016 political turbulence in Uttarakhand. At that time, Kumar, then a journalist, was linked to a sting operation that implicated then‑CM Harish Rawat. The controversy triggered a CBI investigation, culminating in a 2023 special court order to analyse voice samples of Rawat, Kumar, and several others.
After the legal proceedings concluded, Kumar entered electoral politics and captured the Khanpur seat as an independent in 2022.
Will Khanpur Witness a High‑Profile Showdown?
At present, a direct contest between Harish Rawat and Umesh Kumar remains a possibility rather than a certainty. Rawat has yet to file a nomination from Khanpur, but if he does, the constituency could become a focal point of Uttarakhand’s political narrative, given the divergent paths of the two leaders and their shared history from the 2016 sting case.
The definitive candidate list will emerge once parties and aspirants submit their official nominations for the 2027 assembly election.
