History
The UKD was established on 26 July 1979 to fight for a separate state composed of the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. The founding convention was chaired by Dr. D.D. Pant, former vice-chancellor of Kumaun University.Under the young leadership of Mr. Kashi Singh Airy who took the charge of struggle and public agitation and the aim was finally achieved, when the separate Uttaranchal state was formed on November 9, 2000, later renamed Uttarakhand. However, in the first ever state assembly elections in 2002, the party won only four out of 70 seats, and was outmaneuvered by the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both despite being late comers to the separate state movement, succeeded in capturing its momentum for electoral gain and formed governments in the state
As of yet, the UKD has not been able to achieve its ostensible goal in establishing a viable "third force" in Uttarakhand politics due to splits and divisions within its ranks. However, it maintains friendly relations with left parties in the state such as the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and other minor Uttarakhand parties and social movements.
The party has taken on various campaigns in the past geared towards the social and economic uplift of highlanders. The party has however embraced a number of causes of concern to the diversity of peoples living in Uttarakhand, defining the Uttarakhandi identity in broad and inclusive terms. As such, its ideology of civic as opposed to ethnic regionalism can be compared to other centre-left nationalist parties like the Scottish National Party or Plaid Cymru, although its orientation and goals are emphatically non-secessionist.
Read more about this topic: Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
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