Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former parliamentarian Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra passed away at the age of 94 on Tuesday morning. The Delhi BJP confirmed his death, stating he receiving treatment at AIIMS for the past few days.
“Senior BJP leader and the first president of the party’s Delhi unit, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra ji, passed away this morning. His life was a shining example of simplicity and dedication to public service,” said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva in a statement. He added that Malhotra’s contributions began during the Jan Sangh era, where he worked hard to spread the Sangh’s ideology in the capital.
Vijay Kumar Malhotra dies at 93
PM Modi expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter), describing Malhotra as an “outstanding leader” with a deep understanding of people’s issues. “He played a role in strengthening our Party in Delhi. He is also remembered for his Parliamentary interventions. I am pained by his death. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” the PM wrote.
Malhotra was a key figure in Delhi politics. He served as an MP five times and an MLA twice, and he often seen as the BJP’s most recognizable face in the capital during the 1980s and 1990s. He also held the position of Delhi’s chief executive councillor, which is similar to today’s chief minister. His death happens just a day after PM Modi opened the Delhi BJP’s first permanent state office on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Party leaders noted that Malhotra had long envisioned this milestone.
Last rites of Late BJP Leader
The party announced that his last rite brought to his official house at 21, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, around 8:45 am for party workers and admirers to pay their last respects.
Vijay Kumar Malhotra was one of the early pioneers of the Delhi BJP, serving as the Leader of Opposition in the assembly and worked as the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the 2008 election, where the Congress, led by Sheila Dikshit, continued its winning streak.
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