Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Nagrota Devender Singh Rana, brother of Union minister Jitendra Singh passed away on Thursday at a private hospital in Haryana's Faridabad at the age of 59. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital, according to a senior BJP leader.
Hundreds of people including politicians gathered at his residence in the Gandhinagar area of Jammu as the news of his demise spread. The Union Minister also rushed to his house, reported PTI.
Rana had been elected from the Nagrota assembly seat for the second time during the recently held elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He turned to politics from business after establishing a multi-crore business from scratch and was a strong voice for Jammu's Dogra community. He also had a considerable sway among Muslims, particularly the Gujjar community in Jammu.
J&K L-G, Omar Abdullah Pay Tribute
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock and grief over the BJP legislator's sudden demise. "In his passing, we have lost a patriotic and widely respected leader who was committed to the well-being of the people of J&K. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti," the LG's office posted on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to whom Rana had been a trusted aide, said the "terrible news isn't really sinking in." "I know the last few years have been marked by our differences Devender but I prefer to focus on the fun times we shared together, the excellent work we did together & the memories. You have been taken from us all too soon & will be missed," Abdullah said in a post on X sharing old photographs with Rana.
Congress National General Secretary and MLA Ghulam Ahmed Mir also expressed his sorrow. "My heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives, and friends of the deceased. Having interacted with him in politics and beyond, Rana was a great, supportive, and visionary leader, an entrepreneur whose business acumen created opportunities for many in J&K," he said.
Other political leaders including Sajad Lone, Junaid Matoo, Sunil Sharma, Tarun Chugh, Sham Lal Sharma, and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali also offered their condolences on Rana's passing.
Who Was Devender Singh Rana?
Rana began his political career with the National Conference, where he rose to prominence as a key strategist and advisor. He expanded the party's base in Jammu as Provincial President.
He played a significant role in shaping party strategies in Jammu as a trusted aide to Omar Abdullah. He won the Nagrota seat for the party in his debut bid for the J&K assembly polls, defeating the BJP's Jugal Kishore Sharma, a three-time MP.
However, following the abrogation of Article 370, he strongly advocated for the Jammu Delegation, calling for statehood restoration for the Jammu region. His stance clashed with the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, a coalition seeking the restoration of Article 370 and statehood for the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir.
In October 2021, he quit the NC after more than two decades of association and joined the BJP.
Rana was an alumnus of NIT Kurukshetra where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He ventured into business by setting up his own automobile company. He led the creation of the Jamkash Vehicleades Group, a multi-crore enterprise, and a cable TV channel from scratch, establishing himself as a top entrepreneur in Jammu and Kashmir.
He was born in 1965 into a Dogra family in Jammu's Doda district to former bureaucrat Rajinder Singh Rana. He is survived by his wife, Gunjan Rana, their daughters Devyani and Ketki, and son Adhiraj Singh.