B.C. Khanduri Passes Away: Uttarakhand Loses ‘General Sahab’
Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Major General (Retd.) Shri Bhuwan Chand Khanduri. (Image RSS on X)
By KUMAR VIKRAM
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and ex-Union Minister Major General (Retd.) B.C. Khanduri passed away at 91 after prolonged illness. Revered as “General Sahab,” he left behind a legacy spanning military service, governance and infrastructure development.
New Delhi, May 19, 2026 — Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and ex-Union Minister Major General (Retd.) Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. He was undergoing treatment at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Dehradun. He was 91 years old.
Khanduri was Uttarakhand’s towering leaders from the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as the CM of Uttarakhand twice, while never completing his terms. Khanduri was the CM of the state during 2007-09. He again became them CM of the state during 2011-12.
Khanduri had also been a five term Lok Sabha MP, representing the Garhwal parliamentary constituency. He was popular as “General Sahab.”
Khanduri was among the first of the former army persons who joined the BJP. He was known to have been close to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He served as Union Minister for Surface Transport and Highways in the Vajpayee Cabinet.
A Life of Two Uniforms
Born in Dehradun in 1934, Khanduri began his career in the Indian Army, rising to the rank of Major General before transitioning into politics in the 1990s — a shift that reflected his long-standing commitment to discipline and public duty.
Khanduri was instrumental in executing the Golden Quadrilateral project. Vajpayee’s vision of road connectivity saw a major push from Khanduri as the minister. Having been known to belong to the Vajpayee and L K Advani era of the BJP, Khanduri had been away from active politics after he resigned as the Uttarakhand CM in 2011.
The BJP observers recall that Khanduri had been miffed at the deep-rooted factionalism in the Uttarakhand unit of the BJP. The BJP’s grip on power in the state saw several CMs of short stints. The faction-fighting in the Uttarakhand unit of the BJP still remains, as the state has seen several CMs for short durations even in the recent years.
Khanduri, however, commanded respect among the BJP workers for his stature and discipline. In Uttarakhand, the BJP banked on him to build base with the people who were connected to the military services. Uttarakhand is known to be a strong base of ex-service men.
During his tenure as Chief Minister, he took stringent measures against corruption and laid the foundation for a transparent and disciplined administration within the state.
President Droupadi Murmu remembered Khanduri for his approach to governance, while Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan also expressed grief over the demise.
Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat also paid tribute, describing Khanduri as a leader without enemies.
Khanduri is survived by his wife Aruna, son Manish, and daughter Ritu Khanduri Bhushan.
His daughter Ritu Khanduri Bhushan followed him into public life and serves as Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.
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