By Namya Kapur

Copyright republicworld

New Delhi: Veteran BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra died on Tuesday at the age of 94 at his residence.Confirming the death of its first president, the Delhi BJP unit expressed sorrow over the loss of one of the party’s founding leaders in the capital. On X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Malhotra “played a vital role” in strengthening the party in the National Capital. “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 is also remembered for his parliamentary interventions. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said.Union Minister Rajnath Singh also paid condolences over Malhotra’s demise. Sharing an X post, Rajnath Singh said Malhotra has a “special place” in the history of the party. He added that the senior BJP leader was respected for his knowledge of the Indian Constitution.”In the history of the Jana Sangh and BJP, stalwarts like Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra have a special place. He assiduously worked to strengthen our party in Delhi. Widely respected for his knowledge of the Indian Constitution, he was a seasoned parliamentarian who worked tirelessly among people. I am saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti,” the X post read.According to the BJP, Malhotra enjoyed an unblemished and clean image throughout his distinguished career. An educationist with a doctorate in Hindi literature, Malhotra was also active in social work and the administration of sports bodies, including chess and archery clubs in Delhi. Malhotra made important contributions to the party and Delhi’s public life during his political career. Notably, he was the Delhi Assembly’s Leader of the Opposition and was predicted to be the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the 2008 election. He was credited by the party with being instrumental in building its Delhi base from the beginning.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). Alongside leaders such as Kedar Nath Sahni and Madan Lal Khurana, Malhotra is credited with keeping the BJP strong in Delhi for decades. His most notable political victory came in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, when he defeated former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by a large margin. Over his career, he served as a five-time Member of Parliament and a two-time MLA from Delhi, becoming one of the senior-most BJP figures in the capital. In the 2004 general election, Malhotra was the only BJP candidate to win a seat in Delhi.