Gangtok, April 21: Nar Bahadur Bhandari was removed from the post of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president yesterday and Kunga Nima Lepcha appointed in his place.

Sources said the Congress high command had made the changes and no reason was given for Bhandari’s removal. The 73-year-old Bhandari had been the Sikkim chief minister for three consecutive terms from 1979 to 1994. He joined the Congress in 2003.

Bhandari had hinted a few days back that he would leave the Congress and launch a new party.

Lepcha, 64, was the vice-president of the SPCC till now.