Sujan Singh Pathania was elected seven times as an MLA.
Shimla:
Senior Congress leader and sitting legislator in Himachal Pradesh Sujan Singh Pathania died at his native place in Fatehpur tehsil of Kangra district on Friday morning, a party leader said. He was 77.
He was a former minister and sitting legislator from Fatehpur Assembly constituency in Kangra district. He died after a prolonged illness on Friday and will be cremated on Saturday.
Born on September 22, 1943 in Lahore (Pakistan), Mr Pathania was elected seven times as an MLA.
Having served in the HP Forest Department as a range officer, he resigned from service to join Janata Party in 1977 and later became a member of the Congress in 1980.
Mr Pathania was elected to the state Assembly in 1977; re-elected in 1990, 1993, 2003 November, 2009 (by-election) from Jawali Assembly constituency and in 2012 and 2017 from Fatehpur Assembly constituency.
Before delimitation in 2007, Fatehpur Assembly Constituency was known as Jawali.
Mr Pathania remained MPP and Power Minister with additional charge of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Agriculture from December, 2012 to December 20, 2017.
Meanwhile, Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur have expressed grief over his sad demise.
In his condolence message, the Governor said Mr Pathania will always be remembered for his service and contributions towards welfare of the society.
The Chief Minister said the veteran MLA’s contributions towards development of the state in general and Kangra district in particular would be remembered for years to come.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur also expressed grief over his demise.
Former chief ministers Virbhadra Singh, Shanta Kumar, Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda, AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla, BJP state president Suresh Kashyap and state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathour have also expressed sadness on the septuagenarian’s demise.