Senior BJP leader and Nagrota MLA Devender Singh Rana died on Thursday at a private hospital in Haryana's Faridabad. He was the brother of Union Minister Jitendra Singh. He died at age  59. According to a senior BJP leader, Rana was undergoing treatment at the hospital. He is survived by his wife, Gunjan Rana, their daughters Devyani and Ketki, and son Adhiraj Singh.


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Following his demise, hundreds of people, including political leaders, gathered at Rana’s residence in the Gandhinagar area of Jammu. Union Minister Jitendra Singh also rushed to his house.


Rana turned to politics from business as he built a multi-crore business from scratch and was a strong voice for Jammu's Dogra community. He was recently re-elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from the Nagrota segment of Jammu district, securing the seat for a second term.


Following the death of the senior BJP leader, reactions started to pour in, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressing shock and grief over Rana'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 said in a post on X.



Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary also offered his condolences. "This news is especially disheartening on an auspicious day (Diwali). My condolences are extended to his family and PMO @DrJitendraSingh ji on the loss of his younger brother. Deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Om Shanti," Choudhary wrote on X.


PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also offered her condolences. "Shocked to hear about the sudden demise of Devender Rana Ji. Deepest condolences to his family and loved ones," Mufti said on X.


The Jammu and Kashmir BJP said his untimely demise is a great loss to the party and to the people of J&K. "His contribution and dedication to society will always be remembered. May his soul rest in peace, and may God provide strength to his family to bear this irreparable loss," the party posted on X.


Congress National General Secretary and MLA Ghulam Ahmed Mir expressed his shock and sorrow over Rana's death.


"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," Mir wrote on X.


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.


Rana was once a trusted lieutenant of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and his political advisor during his previous tenure as chief minister. He held considerable sway among Muslims, particularly the Gujjar community in Jammu.