Dorjee Khandu

Dorjee Khandu Biography

Dorjee Khandu was an Indian politician and former chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He has served Chief Minister position for two terms. He was first sworn in as the chief minister on 9 April 2007, replacing Gegong Apang - one of the most influential politicians of Arunachal Pradesh. He was elected for the second time on 25 October 2009. He died in a helicopter crash near Sela Pass on 30 April 2011 and he was the ruling chief minister then. He died at his middle ages of 56. The remnants of the crashed helicopter were found on 4 May 2011. Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development, Minister of Power and Minister for Mines, Relief & Rehabilitation are the other major positions held by him.

He belongs to the Monpa tribe and was born on 19 March 1955 in Gyangkhar village in Tawang district, North East Frontier Agency. He is a school dropout and has studied till 8^th standard. He entered public life in 1980 as an Anchalik Samiti Member of Tawang. He has also served in the army intelligence for seven years and has received a gold medal for his meritorious service during the Bangladesh War. Though he entered in politics in 1980, he was active only in his district till 1990. He conducted Assembly elections for the first time in 1990, where he got elected from Thingbu-Mukto constituency as Congress candidate.

He was re-elected to Second Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh in 1995 from same constituency and was chosen Minister of State for Cooperation. He was elected in the third assembly elections in 1999 and continued to be in state assembly in next terms too, till his death in 2011.

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Updated: May 19, 2014