Uttarakhand: senior Congress leader Yashpal Arya joins BJP
Yashpal Arya, a senior Congress leader and Uttarakhand’s Irrigation Minister, joined the BJP on Monday, about a month before the state goes to the polls. He was inducted at an event in Delhi attended by BJP national president Amit Shah.
A blow to the Congress
The defection is a setback for the Congress, which is already troubled by factional rivalry in the state. Arya has been elected to the assembly six times. He is reported to have been unhappy with Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s way of running the government and to have felt sidelined.
His son’s candidacy
Arya had also hoped to see his son, Sanjeev Arya, contest the coming election, which appeared unlikely in the Congress. Sanjeev Arya is expected to follow his father into the BJP. Uttarakhand votes on February 15.
What happened next
In the 2017 Uttarakhand assembly election the BJP won 57 seats and the Congress 11, and Trivendra Singh Rawat became Chief Minister.
See also: Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha members
Originally published on 17 January 2017. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.
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