The Congress party has devised a strategy to corner the BJP in the 2027 electoral arena by focusing on the Agnipath recruitment scheme and other critical state-level issues. To this end, Rahul Gandhi—the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha—will arrive in Uttarakhand on a two-day visit on Thursday, June 4.
It is reported that, through an ex-servicemen’s conference scheduled to be held in Pauri on June 4, the Congress aims to reach out to and mobilize both ex-servicemen and the youth. During the conference, Rahul Gandhi will address significant issues such as the Agnipath scheme and ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP). Additionally, the issue of bringing ex-servicemen’s pensions under the ambit of income tax is expected to be a central topic of discussion. Ex-servicemen and the youth constitute a substantial vote bank in Uttarakhand; consequently, the Congress party has specifically targeted this demographic.
According to Congress leaders, these issues impact a large segment of the country’s population. Considerable dissatisfaction regarding the Agnipath scheme has been observed among the youth, and Rahul Gandhi intends to engage with them to discuss various facets of this initiative. The ‘One Rank, One Pension’ issue has long been a matter of critical importance to ex-servicemen; recognizing this, Rahul Gandhi may also use this platform to criticize the BJP government’s policies concerning ex-servicemen’s issues. The Congress party’s ex-servicemen’s wing has previously organized Rath Yatras (chariot processions) across the state to stage protests and raise awareness among the youth and ex-servicemen regarding the shortcomings of the Agnipath scheme.
It is understood that Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Uttarakhand will place a specific focus on ex-servicemen and the youth. State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal has asserted that the Agnipath recruitment scheme constitutes a betrayal of the future of the state’s youth. He noted that while the youth of Uttarakhand have historically made the greatest contribution to military service, the Agnipath recruitment process has nevertheless left both the youth and their families deeply anxious. Addressing this concern, the Congress party intends to utilize the ex-servicemen’s conference during its Uttarakhand visit to engage in dialogue with ex-servicemen and the youth regarding all these pertinent issues.