Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Mr Bhandari and praised his role in Sikkim's progress. "Saddened by the demise of Shri Nar Bahadur Bhandari. His contribution towards Sikkim's progress will always be remembered. My condolences," the prime minister's office said in a twitter post. Born in 1940 at Malbasey in West Sikkim, Bhandari was a teacher in a government school before he joined active politics.