Former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior BJP leader Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri died at a private hospital on Tuesday. He was 91.
Khanduri breathed his last at around 11 am, his daughter and Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan said. He is survived by his wife Aruna, son Manish, and daughter Ritu Khanduri Bhushan.
The veteran leader had been battling age-related ailments and was hospitalised frequently in recent months.
Widely known as ‘General Sahab’, Khanduri retired from the Indian Army as a major general before entering politics. He was regarded as a disciplined and firm administrator and served as Uttarakhand chief minister twice.
Khanduri first assumed office in 2007 after the BJP won the Assembly elections but stepped down in 2009, taking moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in all five Lok Sabha seats in the state.
He returned as chief minister in 2011 and also served as Union minister for Road Transport and Highways in the Cabinet of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Khanduri was widely credited with executing the Golden Quadrilateral project, which connected the four corners of India through a vast highway network.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the demise of the veteran leader.
Dhami termed his demise an irreparable loss for both state and national politics.
"He presented an unparalleled example of national service, discipline and dedication during his tenure in the Indian Army," Dhami said.
The chief minister said that Khanduri established a strong identity for development, good governance, transparency, and clean politics in public life.
"He gave a new direction to development by taking many crucial decisions in the interest of the state," Dhami added.
He said that Khanduri's simplicity, forthrightness, and efficiency will always remain a source of inspiration.
The chief minister prayed for the departed soul and extended condolences to the bereaved family members and supporters.
(With inputs from PTI)
