Former Uttarakhand CM and five-time MP BC Khanduri dies at 91

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Maj Gen (Retd) BC Khanduri passed away on Tuesday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest following a prolonged illness. He was 91.

The veteran leader breathed his last at around 10: 45 am at Dehradun’s Max Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for the past 50 days. His passing was confirmed by his daughter and Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Bhushan Khanduri.

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“It’s a sad day for our family, and losing my father is difficult to accept, especially since his health had been showing signs of improvement. However, it is God’s wish, and we must accept it. As a father, he taught his children to serve the nation and instilled samskaras in us. Having fought three wars, he always believed that one’s life belongs to the nation,” a bereaved Ritu Khanduri said.

The news of Khanduri’s demise sent a wave of mourning across the state and the nation. Expressing her grief, President Draupadi Murmu posted on X: “The news of the demise of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Major General (Retired) BC Khanduri is deeply saddening. After serving the Indian Army with distinction, he set an example of honesty, simplicity, transparency and the politics of development in public service. His commitment to development, good governance and public welfare will always be remembered. I express my deepest condolences to his bereaved family members and well-wishers.”

Expressing his grief on the passing of Maj Gen Khanduri, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “General Khanduri set an unprecedented example of national service, discipline and dedication serving the Indian Army. He established a strong identity for Uttarakhand’s development, good governance, transparency, and integrity in public life. As Chief Minister, he gave a new direction to our state’s progress by taking several important decisions.”

The Chief Minister added that General Khanduri’s simplicity, forthrightness, and efficiency will always remain a source of inspiration. “His passing is an irreparable loss not only for Uttarakhand but for national politics as well,” Dhami said.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Harish Rawat said, “BC Khanduri was a brilliant person as an Army officer and a parliamentarian. He served the nation as a Union Minister and as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand with great pride and commitment. His every tenure will be remembered for its goodness. Although we were ideologically opposed to each other in politics, I always received care and love like a younger brother from him.”

After retiring from a distinguished career in the Indian Army, Maj Gen Khanduri entered politics in the early 1990s, brought into the fold by the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was considered one of Vajpayee’s trusted confidants. Within two years of entering the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1991, he was appointed the party’s Chief Whip.

Although Khanduri lost the Lok Sabha elections in 1996, he was eventually inducted into the Vajpayee government in 1999 as the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways. Later, he served as the Uttarakhand Chief Minister twice — from 2007 to 2009 and from 2011 to 2012.