Dehradun: A retired major general who rose to prominence in the BJP by a quirk of fate, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri returns as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after a gap of over two years.
Forced out of office in 2009 following a campaign by his bete noire former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari after the party lost all five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state, 76-year-old Khanduri's return to power comes at a time when the party is preparing for assembly polls due next year.
When the BJP gave a ticket to Khanduri to contest the polls from Pauri constituency in 1991, he refused the offer since his first cousin and Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna was expected to be fielded from there.
But at the eleventh hour, Congress denied a ticket to Vijay Bahuguna, son of late Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister H N Bahuguna who was Khanduri's maternal uncle. This opened the door for Khanduri to contest the parliamentary polls and he shot into fame by defeating senior Congress leader Satpal Maharaj from the Pauri seat.
Born on October 1, 1934, Khanduri, who was an engineer in the army, became chief whip of BJP parliamentary party in 1992. In 1996, he lost the elections to Maharaj but became vice president of BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit.
He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Pauri in 1998 and again in 1999 when he again became chief whip of BJP during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as Prime Minister.
In 2000, Khanduri became Union Minister of State with independent charge of Road Transport and Highways Ministry.
Three years later, he was elevated to Cabinet rank with additional charge of Poverty Alleviation and Development. In 2004, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha for the third successive time from Pauri before the BJP lost power at the Centre.
Forced out of office in 2009 following a campaign by his bete noire former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari after the party lost all five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state, 76-year-old Khanduri's return to power comes at a time when the party is preparing for assembly polls due next year.
When the BJP gave a ticket to Khanduri to contest the polls from Pauri constituency in 1991, he refused the offer since his first cousin and Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna was expected to be fielded from there.
But at the eleventh hour, Congress denied a ticket to Vijay Bahuguna, son of late Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister H N Bahuguna who was Khanduri's maternal uncle. This opened the door for Khanduri to contest the parliamentary polls and he shot into fame by defeating senior Congress leader Satpal Maharaj from the Pauri seat.
Born on October 1, 1934, Khanduri, who was an engineer in the army, became chief whip of BJP parliamentary party in 1992. In 1996, he lost the elections to Maharaj but became vice president of BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit.
He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Pauri in 1998 and again in 1999 when he again became chief whip of BJP during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as Prime Minister.
In 2000, Khanduri became Union Minister of State with independent charge of Road Transport and Highways Ministry.
Three years later, he was elevated to Cabinet rank with additional charge of Poverty Alleviation and Development. In 2004, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha for the third successive time from Pauri before the BJP lost power at the Centre.
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