Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) – History, Logo and Leaders

What Is Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD Party)?

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, popularly known as the UKD party, is a regional political party of Uttarakhand. It is registered with the Election Commission of India as an unrecognised party. Founded in 1979, the party was built around one dream: a separate state for the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh.

If you follow the story of how Uttarakhand and its 13 districts came to exist as a separate state, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal is a name you cannot skip.

UKD Full Form

The UKD full form is Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, which translates to the Uttarakhand Revolutionary Party (उत्तराखंड क्रांति दल in Hindi). The word “Kranti” means revolution, and “Dal” means party.

UKD Party at a Glance

• Full form: Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Uttarakhand Revolutionary Party)
• Founded: July 1979 (most references give 26 July)
• Founders: Prof. Devi Datt Pant, Bipin Chandra Tripathi, Indramani Badoni and Kashi Singh Airy
• Founding aim: A separate state for the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh
• Election symbol: Chair
• Status: Registered unrecognised party
• Headquarters: Kranti Bhawan, 10 Court Road, Dehradun
• Central president: Surendra Kukreti, elected in November 2025
• Ideology: Regionalism and civic nationalism, generally described as centre-left

How and Why Uttarakhand Kranti Dal Was Born

The demand for a hill state did not begin in 1979. For years, people across the hill districts felt that decisions about their land were being taken far away, and that their problems of distance, roads, jobs and migration were not getting enough attention. Voices rose in different corners, but they were scattered. What the movement lacked was a single political platform.

UKD became that platform. The founding convention was chaired by Prof. Devi Datt Pant, a former Vice-Chancellor of Kumaon University, and the party was shaped by leaders such as Bipin Chandra Tripathi, Indramani Badoni and Kashi Singh Airy.

A small note on dates: most references give 26 July 1979 as the founding day, while some accounts say 25 July. One Garhwali history account links the convention with the martyrdom day of Shri Dev Suman, the freedom fighter from Tehri.

UKD’s Role in the Uttarakhand Statehood Movement

Through the 1980s and 1990s, UKD became one of the leading voices of the statehood movement. Three moments stand out:

• 1988 foot march: Indramani Badoni walked for 105 days under the UKD banner, from Tawaghat in Pithoragarh to Dehradun, going door to door in villages to explain why a separate state mattered.
• 1992 Gairsain announcement: On Makar Sankranti, Badoni declared Gairsain the capital of the proposed state at Bageshwar. You can read about the district in our Bageshwar guide, and about today’s position in what is the capital of Uttarakhand.
• 1994 mass movement: The demand turned into a people’s movement, and Uttarakhand was formed as India’s 27th state on 9 November 2000.

The party was also unhappy when the new state was first named Uttaranchal, seeing it as a dilution of the movement’s sacrifice. The story behind that is covered in what is Uttarakhand’s old name.

UKD Logo and Election Symbol

The election symbol of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal is the Chair. This is confirmed in an official letter of the Election Commission dated 12 January 2017, which describes UKD as a registered unrecognised party that was earlier a state-recognised party in Uttarakhand, with the reserved symbol Chair. In that letter, the Commission allowed UKD candidates to use the Chair symbol in all 70 assembly constituencies for the 2017 election.

Reference works also associate the party with the colour green. If you are looking for the state’s own emblem instead of a party symbol, see our guide on the Uttarakhand logo.

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal in Elections: From Four Seats to Zero

Statehood did not turn into votes for the party that fought for it. The numbers in the Uttarakhand Assembly tell the story:

• 2002: 4 of 70 seats
• 2007: 3 seats
• 2012: 1 seat, won by Pritam Singh Panwar under the UKD (P) banner
• 2017: 0 seats
• 2022: 0 seats

Reference sources point to internal factionalism, loss of voter base, and the Congress-BJP contest as the main reasons. Around 2012, the party split into two groups, UKD (P) led by Trivendra Singh Panwar and UKD (D) led by Diwakar Bhatt, and the Election Commission froze the original name and symbol for a time. The factions later came together again under Kashi Singh Airy. Airy, a founder-leader, was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Didihat three times between 1985 and 1996, and was also part of the first Uttarakhand Assembly.

Who Leads the UKD Party Today?

Surendra Kukreti became the central president of UKD in November 2025, succeeding Pooran Singh Kathait, who had held the post since 2023. At that meeting, the party also passed 25 resolutions, including the demand for Gairsain as the capital. The Gairsain question, raised by Badoni in 1992, is still alive in the party’s agenda.

Issues UKD Has Raised

UKD describes itself as the voice of native Uttarakhandis. In recent years, it has been among the active campaigners in the Bhu Kanoon movement for a stronger land law in the state, and it campaigned for justice in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. For the full background, read our report on the Ankita Bhandari case.

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and the 2027 Assembly Election

With the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly election approaching, UKD has said it will contest all 70 seats and released a policy agenda titled “Sankalp, Naye Uttarakhand Ka”. On 31 October 2026, the party announced its first list of 16 candidates, including Kashi Singh Airy from Pithoragarh, Pushpesh Tripathi from Dwarahat and Pooran Singh Kathait from Devprayag. Candidates for the remaining seats are to be announced in a second phase.

Whether the party can win back voters will be known only on results day, but its history makes one thing clear: the story of Uttarakhand’s first chief minister and the state itself cannot be told without the long movement UKD helped lead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full form of UKD?

UKD stands for Uttarakhand Kranti Dal.

Who founded Uttarakhand Kranti Dal?

The party was founded in 1979 by leaders including Prof. Devi Datt Pant, Bipin Chandra Tripathi, Indramani Badoni, and Kashi Singh Airy.

What is the symbol of UKD?

The election symbol of UKD is the Chair.

Who is the president of UKD?

Surendra Kukreti has been the central president since November 2025.

Is UKD a recognised party?

UKD is currently a registered but unrecognised party, though it was earlier recognised as a state party in Uttarakhand.