Six senior BJP leaders in Uttarakhand have switched to the Congress, less than a year before the Assembly elections and just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to inaugurate a key expressway project. State Congress chief Ganesh Godyal claimed that over a dozen more leaders from the ruling party could follow suit before the 2027 polls.

The defectors, who joined the Congress in New Delhi on Saturday, cited dissatisfaction with the Pushkar Singh Dhami government and vowed to prevent the BJP’s return to power. Among them are former MLAs Raj Kumar Thukral and Bhimlal Arya, former Roorkee mayor Gaurav Goyal, ex-Bhimtal block pramukh Lakhan Singh, and former Mussoorie municipal head Anuj Gupta.

Bhimlal Arya alleged widespread corruption under BJP rule and expressed confidence in the Congress’s prospects in the state. Congress leader Pritam Singh echoed the criticism, accusing the government of failing to maintain law and order and referencing public anger over the 2022 murder of a young receptionist in Rishikesh—an incident linked to a former BJP leader’s family.

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami downplayed the defections, describing the leaders as habitual party-switchers. State BJP president Mahendra Bhatt dismissed them as “discarded” figures, claiming the Congress was inducting them due to a lack of candidates.

Political observers, however, see the defections as a setback for the BJP ahead of Modi’s visit. Concerns over governance, including law and order and environmental issues, are believed to be influencing public sentiment. At the same time, the Congress may face internal friction, with some existing leaders unhappy about accommodating newcomers.