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. 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. However, I do not believe this allegation at all. Rahul Gandhi Ji is raising his voice against the corruption rampant in the education system at the national level through the ‘Echo of Students’ program. At such a time, if any action of Harish Rawat introduces any weakness in the party’s struggle, I would absolutely not want that.
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. Because no weakness should come into the party’s struggle on my account, 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,.
Rawat said, “I have taken a major decision: I am not (in) any government position, so what resignation would I tender from that! 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. 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. 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. Earlier reporting noted: According to the agency, searches were conducted at the residential premises of the then Chairman and Secretary of UKSSSC, the then Exam Controller, the owner of the private computer agency engaged for OMR processing, and associated middlemen allegedly linked to the conspiracy.
Earlier reporting noted: Rawat resigned saying, “The Congress Party and Congress workers are fighting united against corruption. Earlier reporting noted: Harish Rawat quits Congress posts after ED raids on PA: ‘No weakness should come’ Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Friday announced his decision to resign from party positions after his personal assistant Chandan Singh Jeena faced raids by the Enforcement Directorate.
“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.
The former Chief Minister said the stakes in the Uttarakhand elections were very high. If it has not come yet, it means the elections will be held in March-April next year,” he said.
