Former Odisha Governor M C Bhandare Passes Away; Cremation Today

Bhubaneswar: Former Governor of Odisha and senior advocate Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare passed away on Saturday at the age of 95.

A veteran Congress leader from Maharashtra, Bhandare was elected to the Rajya Sabha for three terms in June 1980, April 1982 and April 1988. He was chairman of various committees of the Parliament and visited USA, UK, USSR, Germany and several other foreign countries.

He served as the Governor of Odisha from August 2007 to March 2013. He had published his memoir “The Arc of Memory” in December 2023. He was also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association for two terms.

Governor Raghubar Das and CM Mohan Majhi expressed grief over his demise.

In a social media post, Majhi said: “I am deeply saddened to hear about the demise of former Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare. His contribution during his tenure as Governor was very significant. I pray for the eternal peace of his soul.”

Former CM, Naveen Patnaik, also took to his official X handle and said, “I am saddened to learn of the demise of Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, the former Governor of Odisha and veteran politician. His humble and innocent nature along with his dedication to the progress of the state and the welfare of the people will always be a source of inspiration. May his soul rest in peace and my condolences to the bereaved family.”

The cremation is on Sunday at 5 pm at the Lodhi Road Crematorium, Delhi.