Major General (R) Khanduri’s son joins Congress in Rahul’s presence. Was disenchanted due to the insult meted out to his father ?

According to the reports pouring in from Dehradun, the journalist son of the former chief minister of Uttarakhand n the current MP from Pauri Garhwal constituency Manish Khanduri has joined the Congress Party at a well attended public meeting in Dehradun in the presence of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Manish Khanduri is primarily a journalist having worked with several reputed economic papers n magazines Business Standard n Business world etc for a long time including at CNN.

He is a graduate from US. Manish was not the active or ordinary member of the Bhartiya Janata Party who’d joined BJP after feeling bad, insulted and disenchanted over the shabby n uncalled for treatment meted out to his father, former union minister in Vajpayee’s cabinet n current MP from Pauri, Garhwal Major General retired B C Khanduri, by arbitrarily removing him from the Standing Committee of Parliament on Defence by the present political dispensation at the centre led by prime minister Narendra Modi.

Even Congress president Rahul Gandhi mentioned this fact in his speech while welcoming Manish Khanduri in the Congress party’s fold amid cheers n clappings from the crowd.

It is believed that Manish Khanduri may be the Congress candidate from Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency currently held by his father on BJP ticket, who’s is no more interested to contest due to abnormal health having turned 78.

Major general Khanduri has represented Pauri Lok Sabha on BJP’s ticket since 1991 losing it in between to Congress party as well.

Manish Khanduri is the great grandson ( grt grand nephew) of one time political stalwart late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, the ex UP CM in 1974 n several times union minister in Indira’s cabinet as well as in the cabinet of Janata party during Morarji Desai n Choudhary Charan Singh’s premiership during the seventies n eighties.

Manish’s grandmother mother was Bahuguna’s elder sister namely Durga Devi Khanduri popularly known as Maldani ( rich woman).

Manish Khanduri’s joining the Congress party is a great setback to BJP in Uttarakhand as it’s bound to send a wrong message accross putting adverse effect/ impact on the four other parliamentary seats of Garhwal n Kumaon in addition to the Pauri, Garhwal lok sabha seat.

If we analyse the election trends in Uttarakhand since it’s gaining separate existence since 2000 there had always been the change in election results after every term, unambiguously indicating that the Uttarakhand electorates prefer change in every elections.

But this time due to the post Pulwama situation n the air strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot terror camps including the safe and early return of Abhinandan, the BJP seemed to be too confident of winning all the seats in Uttarakhand which are five in numbers n currently represented by BJP.

But it looks that the shabby n insulting treatment meted out to Major General Khanduri n his son Manish joining the Congress in disenchantment n protest, may turn the tables in favour of the Congress party which too is suffering from factionalism say the news analysts.