Veteran Congress leader, H.N Bahuguna’s close lieutenant n fmr education minister of Ukhand Narendra Singh Bhandari is no more

Uttarakhand especially the Garhwal region is shocked to learn about the sad demise of former minister of education of Uttarakhand under ND Tiwari’s tenure n several term lawmaker from Pauri and Dhangu constituency. He died in Kotdwar at the age of 85. 
A veteran Congress leader  who had been the  general secretary of Garhwal Mandal for long during the eighties  former minister Narendra Singh Bhandari was a staunch H.N. Bahuguna follower always in the latter’s good books. 
He commanded the most controvertial but historic  parliamentary election of political stalwart Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna in 1981 , 82 from Pauri Garhwal constituency that was rigged and reelection held after the intervention of the then chief election commissioner of India S.L.Shakdhar. 
This election was the then PM Indira Gandhi verses Bahuguna election highlighted globally by BBC with Pauri Garhwal’s name having become popular worldwide with Bahuguna winning it with 30 thousand votes despite all odds, being rigged and held for the second time. 
Narendra Singh Bhandari was also MLA in undivided Uttar Pradesh from Pauri Garhwal and was appointed as the minister in-charge of Hill Development Council by the then UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav.

A hard core Congressman n an ardent HN Bahuguna follower veteran Congress leader Narendra Singh Bhandari was a popular, down to earth and affectionate leader of masses of Garhwal, Uttarakhand whose elder brother Sultan Singh Bhandari, MLC was also a renowned Congress man.

Narendra Bhandari’ s Pauri house was a centre of activities during and after the historic election of H.N. Bahuguna from Pauri Garhwal parliamentary constituency. During Uttarakhand movement Bhandari’s contribution was also matchless.  

In his capacity as an education minister of Uttarakhand Narendra Bhandari had been credited for opening maximum primary, high and intermediate schools in Uttarakhand especially in Pauri Garhwal. His doors were always open for one and all  n had helped lot of teachers in their transfers with genuine n transparent reasons. He was in true sense an honest secularist, leader of the down trodden and  those living in villages. His entire life was dedicated for peoples’ welfare n well being. 

A true Congress leader of the masses, a former education minister of Uttarakhand n separate Uttarakhand movement activist  for whom this author also campaigned during H.N Bahuguna’s n his elections as MLA, extensively as an active youth leader, has by his untimely passing away left a huge void in Uttarakhand’s socio political arena who was loved n reverred by one and all across ideological lines.

The void left by  veteran Congress leader Narendra Singh Bhandari will be difficult to be filled. His passing away is indeed like end of an era. Om Shanti