Seven-time Cong MLA Sujan Singh Pathania dies

Our Correspondent
NURPUR, FEBRUARY 12

Sujan Singh Pathania (78), a former minister in Virbhadra Singh’s Cabinet and sitting MLA from the Fatehpur Assembly constituency in Kangra district, passed away this morning at his native Hara village. He had been ailing for the past three years. He suffered paralysis in September 2017.

He was elected MLA seven times during his 44 years of active political life. Born on September 9, 1943, in Lahore (Pakistan), Pathania, who is a senior Congress leader, was known for this straightforwardness during his political life.

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Before joining the Janta Party in 1977, he had resigned from the state Forest Department in which he was a forest range officer. He was first elected as Janta Party legislator in 1977 and later joined the Congress in 1980. After that, he won the Assembly elections in 1990, 1993, 2003, 2009 (byelection) from Jawali Assembly constituency and in 2012 and 2017, he won from Fatehpur Assembly constituency.

During the last stint of Virbhadra Singh’s regime, Pathania served as the Power Minister with the additional charge of Non-conventional Energy sources and Agriculture Minister from December 2012 to December 2017. As per his family, the last rites would be performed at 11 am on Saturday.

Former CM Virbhadra Singh, state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and other senior Congress leaders of the state have expressed grief over his demise. Ajay Mahajan, president, Kangra district Congress committee, said his demise was an irreparable loss to the family, Congress party and Kangra district.