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Himachal: Former Kangra BJP MP Kishan Kapoor passes away at 73
Kapoor breathed his last at Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, where he was admitted on January 19 with chronic kidney disease.
Former Kangra BJP MP Kishan Kapoor passed away at Post-Graduate Institute Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh on Saturday morning. He was 73.
A PGIMER statement said that Kapoor was admitted to the intensive care unit on January 19 with chronic kidney disease and Type-2 diabetes. He became critical due to an intracranial bleed, and later suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, he did not survive and died on Saturday.
The last rites would be performed on Sunday at his native village in Dharamshala.
The news of his death was shared by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sudhir Sharma on social media. He described the senior party leader’s death as an irreparable loss to society and politics.
Hailing from the Gaddi community, Kapoor won the 2019 general election from Kangra by 4.77 lakh votes, the second largest voting percentage at 72.2% all over the country.
Kapoor was a five-time MLA and served as a state minister twice. He represented Dharamshala assembly constituency and was the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister in the Himachal Pradesh government.
Kapoor became a member of Jan Sangh in 1970 and after the formation of the BJP in 1980, he became the party’s Dharamshala mandal president in 1982. He was elected MLA for the first time in 1990 and was re-elected in 1993. He was the chief whip of the party in the assembly and was also the president of the Kangra district unit from 1995-97.
BJP leaders pay tributes
Paying tributes, BJP national president and Union health and family welfare minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said that Kapoor was a soft-spoken, sociable and a visionary leader. He had a close relationship with him and he also had the opportunity to work with him in the assembly. He described Kapoor’s death as a personal and an irreparable loss.
Leader of opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur mourned Kapoor’s death as extremely sad. “The BJP family has lost a big leader. This loss is impossible to compensate. Kishan ji played an important role as a minister in the development of the state and the welfare of the people. His contribution will always be remembered. May God give peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear this grief,” he posted on social media.
Governor, CM mourn death
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over Kapoor’s death.
Shukla said Kapoor was a dedicated leader who worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh. “His contribution to the progress of the state will always be remembered,” he said, extending condolences to the bereaved family.
Sukhu said: “Kapoor’s contribution to the development of the state, particularly Dharamshala assembly segment and Kangra parliamentary constituency, were immense which will be remembered by the people for a long time.”
Expressing grief, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said Kapoor was a visionary leader who served the people of the state with dedication. “He worked selflessly and was committed to the welfare of people and development of the state,” he added.
