<p>Dehradun: Former Champawat MLA Kailash Chandra Gahtori, who vacated the seat in 2022 for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</a> Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pushkar-singh-dhami">Pushkar Singh Dhami</a>, died here on Friday morning following a prolonged illness.</p><p>He was 55.</p><p>Gahtori breathed his last at the Government Doon Medical College here, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bjp">BJP</a> sources said.</p><p>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.</p><p>Describing the former MLA as his dear friend, he said, "I am unable to express this immense pain in words."</p>.<p>Gahtori spent his entire life in public service and will always be remembered as an ideal public representative, the chief minister said.</p><p>"As an MLA, his dedication towards the development of the Champawat region is a source of inspiration for us," he added.</p><p>Gahtori, who was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, contested his first Assembly election in 2002 from Champawat as an Independent candidate.</p><p>Later in 2017, he contested the elections from Champawat on a BJP ticket and won.</p><p>He won again from the seat in 2022.</p><p>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.</p><p>Gahtori was the chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation.</p>
<p>Dehradun: Former Champawat MLA Kailash Chandra Gahtori, who vacated the seat in 2022 for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</a> Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pushkar-singh-dhami">Pushkar Singh Dhami</a>, died here on Friday morning following a prolonged illness.</p><p>He was 55.</p><p>Gahtori breathed his last at the Government Doon Medical College here, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bjp">BJP</a> sources said.</p><p>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.</p><p>Describing the former MLA as his dear friend, he said, "I am unable to express this immense pain in words."</p>.<p>Gahtori spent his entire life in public service and will always be remembered as an ideal public representative, the chief minister said.</p><p>"As an MLA, his dedication towards the development of the Champawat region is a source of inspiration for us," he added.</p><p>Gahtori, who was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, contested his first Assembly election in 2002 from Champawat as an Independent candidate.</p><p>Later in 2017, he contested the elections from Champawat on a BJP ticket and won.</p><p>He won again from the seat in 2022.</p><p>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.</p><p>Gahtori was the chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation.</p>