Former Champawat MLA Kailash Gahtori, who vacated seat for CM Dhami, dead

Dehradun: Former Champawat MLA Kailash Chandra Gahtori, who vacated the seat in 2022 for Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, died here on Friday morning following a prolonged illness.

He was 55.

Gahtori breathed his last at the Government Doon Medical College here, BJP sources said.

Expressing grief over Gahtori's death, Chief Minister Dhami it was a personal loss to him as well as that of the party and the state.

Describing the former MLA as his dear friend, he said, "I am unable to express this immense pain in words." Gahtori spent his entire life in public service and will always be remembered as an ideal public representative, the chief minister said.

"As an MLA, his dedication towards the development of the Champawat region is a source of inspiration for us," he added.

Gahtori, who was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, contested his first Assembly election in 2002 from Champawat as an Independent candidate.

Later in 2017, he contested the elections from Champawat on a BJP ticket and won.

He won again from the seat in 2022.

However, after the chief minister lost the polls from Khatima, Gahtori vacated his seat for him to contest the elections and made it to the state Assembly.

Gahtori was the chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation.