JAMMU : J&K's Dogra community lost a strong voice late Thursday with the death of Devender Singh Rana , BJP 's newly elected legislator from Nagrota and Union minister Jitendra Singh 's younger sibling, after a bout of illness. He was 59.
News of Rana's passing in a hospital in Haryana's Faridabad united the Union territory's fractured political fraternity in mourning, with CM Omar Abdullah of National Conference harking back to the "fun times we shared together, the excellent work we did together and the memories".
"The terrible news from late last night isn't really sinking in...You have been taken from us all too soon and will be missed. May your soul rest in peace now, DSR," he wrote on X.
Rana joined BJP in 2021 and was elected MLA of Nagrota in Jammu by a record margin of 30,472 votes in J&K's first assembly election in a decade.
The son of a former bureaucrat, Rana was a civil engineer from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, and an entrepreneur before he entered politics in the early part of the millennium by joining NC. He rose to prominence as one of NC’s strategists, serving as provincial president and political adviser to Omar.
In the 2002 assembly elections, Rana managed Omar's campaign in Ganderbal. Although NC lost, he chose to stick with the party.
Together, the duo navigated the challenges posed by the 2010 agitation in the region and the turmoil stemming from a surge in separatist violence.
PM Narendra Modi condoled Rana's death with a post on X, "He was a veteran leader who worked diligently towards JN&K's progress. He also played a noteworthy role in making BJP stronger."
Home minister Amit Shah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, too, paid glowing tributes to the late MLA.
His brother Jitendra Singh said, "The untimely demise of my brother Devender Singh Rana is a deep personal loss, which is irreparable and painful. The void will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. I sincerely thank all those standing by me and the family in these testing times."
Rana was cremated in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar Friday, with CM Omar cancelling all engagements to be by the family's side. The late MLA and his wife have two daughters and a son.
News of Rana's passing in a hospital in Haryana's Faridabad united the Union territory's fractured political fraternity in mourning, with CM Omar Abdullah of National Conference harking back to the "fun times we shared together, the excellent work we did together and the memories".
"The terrible news from late last night isn't really sinking in...You have been taken from us all too soon and will be missed. May your soul rest in peace now, DSR," he wrote on X.
The terrible news from late last night 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… pic.twitter.com/QoANZOyS3B
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 1, 2024
Rana joined BJP in 2021 and was elected MLA of Nagrota in Jammu by a record margin of 30,472 votes in J&K's first assembly election in a decade.
The son of a former bureaucrat, Rana was a civil engineer from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, and an entrepreneur before he entered politics in the early part of the millennium by joining NC. He rose to prominence as one of NC’s strategists, serving as provincial president and political adviser to Omar.
In the 2002 assembly elections, Rana managed Omar's campaign in Ganderbal. Although NC lost, he chose to stick with the party.
Together, the duo navigated the challenges posed by the 2010 agitation in the region and the turmoil stemming from a surge in separatist violence.
PM Narendra Modi condoled Rana's death with a post on X, "He was a veteran leader who worked diligently towards JN&K's progress. He also played a noteworthy role in making BJP stronger."
Shri Devender Singh Rana Ji’s untimely demise is shocking. He was a veteran leader, who worked diligently towards Jammu and Kashmir’s progress. He had just won the Assembly polls and had also played a noteworthy role in making the BJP stronger in J&K. In this hour of grief, my… pic.twitter.com/ohmAFJ8UJl
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2024
Home minister Amit Shah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, too, paid glowing tributes to the late MLA.
His brother Jitendra Singh said, "The untimely demise of my brother Devender Singh Rana is a deep personal loss, which is irreparable and painful. The void will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. I sincerely thank all those standing by me and the family in these testing times."
Rana was cremated in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar Friday, with CM Omar cancelling all engagements to be by the family's side. The late MLA and his wife have two daughters and a son.
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