Harish Rawat resigns from Congress posts after ED recovers cash, gold from his PA

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat has tendered his resignation from the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and a permanent invitee member of the Congress Working Committee at the national level on Saturday (September 12, 2026) after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered cash, jewellery and other valuables from the possession of his PA, Chandan Singh Jeena.

Taking it to X after the ED raid, Mr. Rawat said, “I have taken a major decision: I am not (in) any government position, so what resignation would I tender from that! Yes, I am a member of the executive of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and a permanent invitee member of the Congress Working Committee at the national level, and with utmost humility, I wish to step down from both these positions, because no weakness should come into the party’s struggle on my account.”

The ED on Friday (September 11) said it conducted searches linked to the 2016 VPDO exam case, seizing ₹32 lakh, gold, and luxury watches from Harish Rawat’s PA. It seized an “unaccounted” sum of ₹32 lakh, 13 gold coins and seven gold chains weighing about 200.5 gm, and 12 luxury wristwatches of expensive brands from Chandan Singh Jeena’s premises.

Mr. Rawat acknowledged that Jeena had served as his OSD and had handled important responsibilities during the various positions he held, both in the party and in government. Describing Jeena as a “very decent, humble and hard-working person”, Mr. Rawat said, “If he tampered with OMR sheets during the recruitment of Gram Sevaks, and if there is evidence to prove that he committed any such wrongdoing, I am ashamed of such an alleged audacious act. However, I do not believe this allegation at all.”

The former Chief Minister said the stakes in the Uttarakhand elections were very high. “Whenever anyone used to ask me when the elections would be held, I would jokingly say that the elections would take place when the CBI knocked on my door. If it has not come yet, it means the elections will be held in March-April next year,” he said.

“However, this time, instead of knocking on my door, an attempt has been made to knock on the door of one of my associates and create a narrative,” Mr. Rawat alleged.

He said the Congress party and its workers were united in their fight against corruption. “Rahul Gandhi is also raising his voice against corruption in the education system at the national level through the ‘Students Ki Goonj’ programme,” he said.

(With ANI inputs)