Passing away of Rana big loss for BJP at important time

Srinagar, Nov 1: The passing away of its senior leader Devender Singh Rana is a big loss for the BJP particularly when the party for the first time has emerged as such a strong opposition in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rana could have played a key role in guiding the BJP inside the legislative assembly and outside in the coming months and years. He was among the few politicians who would win elections on his own strength and had effective influence in the party and well-established contacts with the top leadership. This he proved in the 2014 assembly polls when he won from the Nagrota assembly constituency on a National Conference (NC) ticket despite the BJP wave sweeping the Jammu region.

Later after 10 years in 2024, he again won from the same constituency with a BJP mandate even as NC was able to reunite its traditional vote bank in some of the areas of the Jammu region. Despite his ill health Rana would actively take part in BJP activities and make all possible efforts to strengthen the party. He regularly used to attend the meetings in the Jammu party office where the common people would present their grievances for the redressal. For that, he was being hailed from time to time by the top BJP leadership. On the passing away of Rana the senior party leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their condolence messages remembered his services. His demise was mourned across the political spectrum in J&K.

Rana knew the politics and politicians in Kashmir and Jammu regions very closely. Whether in NC or BJP, he had very cordial relations with leaders of other parties as well. The political leader had also developed very personal relations with members of the media fraternity in both regions and knew most of them at personal and professional levels. Whether being the advisor of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the past or later as a senior leader in BJP, he would acknowledge the duty and right of media persons to perform their duties professionally. In media circles, he was known for avoiding influencing the journalists directly or indirectly and not asking them to stop criticising on merit the functioning of the government or party and their policies. Whatever line he would take politically, Rana was also known for remaining a decent human being for politicians, media and other people. That way he was widely respected.

The bright smile for which Rana was known had become alive again in the assembly here recently when he was being greeted by others before and after he took oath as MLA from Pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul. After his oath, it was expected in the political and media circles that he might get an important role in his party in the assembly. BJP needed his services.

BJP had got 29 seats in recent assembly elections. Among all the political parties it also got the highest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2014 polls, when the party had got 25 seats it had formed a coalition government with PDP. At that time Rana was with the NC.

Having been close to politics in Kashmir and the Jammu region, Rana could have been helpful for the BJP to establish a political bridge to the Valley through assembly this time.  BJP desperately needs a breakthrough on its own in Kashmir to get back the political power. For the last several years, it left no stone unturned in its efforts, measures and hard work to form its government and have its own chief minister after assembly polls. However, the measures could not yield the desired results. The party is in need of getting some political space in Kashmir as well.  Assembly is a forum right now where the BJP as a strong opposition can win the hearts of people in the valley by raising their day-to-day issues as well as press for their solution. Rana could have played an effective role in this direction.