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Nar Bahadur Bhandari | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd and 4th Chief Minister of Sikkim | |
| In office 8 March 1985 – 17 June 1994 | |
| Governor | Kona Prabhakara Rao Bhishma Narain Singh(Additional Charge) T. V. Rajeswar S. K. Bhatnagar R. H. Tahiliani |
| Preceded by | B. B. Gurung |
| Succeeded by | Sanchaman Limboo |
| In office 18 October 1979 – 11 May 1984 | |
| Governor | B. B. Lal Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan |
| Preceded by | Kazi Lhendup Dorjee |
| Succeeded by | B. B. Gurung |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1984–1985 | |
| Constituency | Sikkim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1940-10-05)5 October 1940 Malbasy,Soreng,Kingdom of Sikkim |
| Died | 16 July 2017(2017-07-16) (aged 76) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Party | Sikkim Sangram Parishad |
| Other political affiliations | INC (2004-2009)& SKM (2014-2017) |
| Spouse | Dil Kumari Bhandari |
| Residence(s) | Gangtok,Sikkim,India |
Nar Bahadur Bhandari (5 October 1940 – 16 July 2017) was an Indian politician who served as thechief minister of the state ofSikkim from 1979 to 1994. He briefly served asMember of Parliament representingSikkim Lok Sabha constituency from 1984 to 1985. He was the founding leader of theSikkim Sangram Parishad. He was popularly remembered for his efforts to include theNepali language in8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. He was awarded with prestigiousJagadamba Shree Purasakar for his contribution for Nepali language.[1] He was the first Indian chief minister ofGorkha origin. He also served as the president of Bharatiya Nepali Bhasha Parisangh until his death. He is popularly known as the architect of modern Sikkim.
Nar Bahadur Bhandari was born on 5 October 1940[2] in Malbasay village, nearSoreng,West Sikkim[3] He earned his BA degree fromDarjeeling Government College and worked as a school teacher for some years before entering politics. His wife,Dil Kumari Bhandari, is a former member of parliament (Lok Sabha) from Sikkim. He has three daughters and son.[4]
Bhandari founded theSikkim Janata Parishad in 1977. This party won the state assembly election in 1979, and he became the chief minister for the first time on 18 October 1979[3].[citation needed] In 1984, he also served briefly as member of parliament from the Sikkim constituency in the8th Lok Sabha as an independent candidate. In 1984, Bhandari dissolved Sikkim Janata Parishad and formed a new party called Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP). This party ran in the assembly elections in 1985 and won, and Bhandari became the chief minister for the second time.[3]
In 1989, SSP returned to power by winning the assembly elections.[3] In a rare instance in Indian national politics, the SSP became the singular party in theSikkim Legislative Assembly, winning all 32 seats in the house. In 1994, Bhandari lost a vote of confidence in the state assembly, and he resigned as chief minister. Later, he served as a member of the legislative assembly from 1994 to 2004.
In 1994, SSP lost the assembly elections to theSikkim Democratic Front led byPawan Kumar Chamling. SSP also lost the 1999 assembly election. In the2004 state assembly elections, Bhandari ran under theIndian National Congress, which managed to win only one seat in the assembly.[5] In May 2007, he was sentenced to prison for one month in a corruption case.[6] Again in the 2009 assembly elections, the Congress party under Bhandari failed to win any seat in the state assembly.
Bhandari became the president of theSikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) after he had merged SSP with the Indian National Congress in 2003. In May 2013, he was reinstated as the president of SSP. In 2014, he was convicted in a CBI corruption case.[7][citation needed]
His notable political accomplishments are free education from elementary to graduate school, establishing nearby schools-- within a radius of 3 to 4 km-- for all residents, providing drinking water to every household in Sikkim, building a network of roads to all major villages in Sikkim, bringing all rural areas onto the electric grid, and the setup of vast healthcare centers.[citation needed]
In the2014 election, his party unanimously supported a new political partySikkim Krantikari Morcha, under the leadership ofPS Golay. Bhandari, despite his conviction in a corruption case continued campaigning for SKM which managed to win only 10 seats out of 32. Prior to his death, he was closely involved with the SKM party; he gave his last speech at the SKM Foundation Day Celebration in Singtam on 4 February 2017.
Bhandari died on 16 July 2017 following spinal surgery.[8]
His final rites were performed with full state honours by the current chief minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling, including a 21-gun salute. In a very rare gesture, the family of the former king of Sikkim sent their royal flag to be wrapped around Bhandari's body during the state funeral.
| Year | Constituency | Political Party | Result | Position | Votes | % Votes | % Margin | Deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Soreong | SJP | Won | 1st/7 | 1,833 | 70.26 | +55.88 | refunded | [9] | |
| 1985 | SSP | Won | 1st/5 | 2,964 | 80.48 | +63.29 | refunded | [10] | ||
| 1989 | Won | 1st/3 | 4,712 | 91.53 | +83.76 | refunded | [11] | |||
| 1994 | Won | 1st/4 | 3,291 | 51.83 | +6.38 | refunded | [12] | |||
| 1999 | Lost | 2nd/3 | 3,390 | 48.85 | -0.95 | refunded | [12] | |||
| 1999 | Rhenock | Won | 1st/4 | 3,364 | 55.97 | +13.11 | refunded | [12] | ||
| 2004 | Central Pendam–East Pendam | INC | Lost | 2nd/4 | 2,165 | 22.77 | -36.34 | refunded | [13] | |
| 2004 | Gangtok | Lost | 2nd/4 | 2,829 | 31.70 | -34.99 | refunded | [13] | ||
| 2009 | Soreng-Chakung | Lost | 2nd/5 | 2,378 | 24.34 | -42.16 | refunded | [14] | ||
| 2009 | Khamdong-Singtam | Lost | 2nd/3 | 3,032 | 39.76 | -16.60 | refunded | [14] | ||
| Year | Constituency | Political Party | Result | Position | Votes | % Votes | % Margin | Deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sikkim | Independent | Won | 1st/8 | 56,614 | 68.50 | +42.69 | refunded | [15] | |
| 1996 | SSP | Lost | 2nd/7 | 42,175 | 24.50 | -47.65 | refunded | [16] | ||
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