BJP veteran Vijay Kumar Malhotra passes away at 93; PM Modi pays tribute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief at the death of Malhotra and lauded his contribution to public life

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra passed away at AIIMS New Delhi on Tuesday morning. He was 93.

Malhotra, a five-time MP and two-time MLA from Delhi, was among the most prominent faces of the party in the capital. He was also the president of BJP's Delhi unit.

PM Modi's tribute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief at the death of Malhotra and lauded his contribution to public life.

Modi took to X and wrote, "Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra Ji distinguished himself as an outstanding leader, who had a very good understanding of people's issues. He played a vital role in strengthening our Party in Delhi." He added, "He is also remembered for his Parliamentary interventions. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti."

The BJP Delhi unit in an X post said, "The news of the sudden demise of senior BJP leader and first president of the Delhi BJP, Professor Vijay Kumar Malhotra, is deeply saddening. The entire BJP family stands with his family in this hour of grief. May God grant peace to the departed soul. Om Shanti."

About Vijay Kumar Malhotra

Born on December 3, 1931, in Lahore, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan), Malhotra was the fourth of seven children of Kaviraj Khazan Chand. A politician and sports administrator, he was elected President of the Delhi Pradesh Jana Sangh (1972-75) and later twice as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi Pradesh (1977-80, 1980-84).

Malhotra is widely known for keeping the party strong in the national capital for decades alongside leaders such as Kedar Narh Sahni and Madan Lal Khurana.

His most notable political victory came in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, when he defeated former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by a large margin. Malhotra was the only BJP candidate to bag a seat in the national capital in the 2004 general election.