Jammu, Nov 2: Former MLA Jagdish Raj Spolia passed away at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness at his residence in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, his family said on Monday.
Spolia is survived by his wife and two sons.
A two-time MLA from the Basohli constituency of Kathua, Spolia was first elected to the Assembly in 1987 on a Congress ticket.
However, he left the Congress and joined the BJP in 1999. He returned to the Assembly in 2008, winning the seat on a BJP ticket.
He later rejoined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Assembly elections.
He subsequently returned to the BJP but remained bedridden for a prolonged period due to illness. He breathed his last at his residence on Sunday evening.
His last rites were performed at Shanti Ghat in Basohli on Monday forenoon, with a large number of people attending the cremation to pay their final respects.
Union minister Jitendra Singh expressed grief over Spolia’s demise in a post on X, describing the news as “extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching”.
“His commitment to public service and his contributions to the development of the region will always be remembered. In this hour of grief, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved family and his supporters,” the minister said.
