Fri Nov 01 14:27:37 UTC 2024: ## Senior BJP Leader Devender Singh Rana Passes Away at 59

**Jammu and Kashmir:** Devender Singh Rana, a senior BJP leader and sitting MLA from Nagrota, passed away early Thursday morning at a hospital in Faridabad, Delhi. He was 59.

Rana, the younger brother of Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, had won the recent Assembly election from Nagrota, defeating his closest rival from the JKNC by a substantial margin. He was considered a key figure in the BJP’s electoral success and a potential contender for the Leader of the Opposition position.

Known as a strong voice for the Jammu region, Rana was a former close aide of Omar Abdullah and a prominent figure in the National Conference before joining the BJP.

Politicians across the spectrum expressed their condolences, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President J.P. Nadda paying tributes.

“Shri Devender Singh Rana Ji’s untimely demise is shocking,” PM Modi wrote on X. “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 thoughts are with his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”

Other leaders, including Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, also expressed their grief and shared memories of Rana’s contributions to Jammu and Kashmir.

Rana’s body is expected to arrive in Jammu on Friday.

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