In a surprise move ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Manish Khanduri, son of former Uttarakhand chief minister Major Gen B C Khanduri, has resigned from the Indian National Congress. In a social media post, he stated that he is resigning from the primary membership of the party and all associated positions without any anticipation or expectation of personal gain. Manish’s sister, Ritu Khanduri, is currently a BJP MLA and serves as the speaker of the state assembly.
Manish, born in 1968, is a former journalist who was working with Facebook as head of news partnerships. He entered politics when he joined Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, despite receiving 2 lakh votes as the party’s candidate from the Pauri seat, he lost by more than 3 lakh votes to BJP’s Tirath Singh Rawat.
Following his resignation, the state BJP president, Mahendra Bhatt, expressed that if Manish chooses to join BJP, they would welcome him warmly. It is speculated that senior BJP leaders in the state had unofficial meetings with Manish before his resignation, though this has not been confirmed. While Manish remained unavailable for comment, Congress state chief Karan Mahara acknowledged the resignation, attributing it to potential familial pressures due to Manish’s father and sister being veteran BJP figures. He stated that he had not received any formal letter from Manish and learned about the resignation through social media. Mahara mentioned his attempts to contact Manish, which were unsuccessful, and emphasized that the exact reason for his resignation can only be ascertained after a conversation with him.
Manveer Singh Chauhan, media in-charge of Uttarakhand BJP, neither confirmed nor denied the rumors about Manish joining the BJP. He stated that it is too early to comment, and everyone will know what unfolds in the days ahead. The resignation of Manish Khanduri from Congress, along with the speculations surrounding a potential shift to BJP, has created significant political interest in Uttarakhand.
