Former J-K Governor Satyapal Malik passes away after prolonged illness

NEW DELHI: Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik (79) passed away in the national capital on Tuesday after prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 1.10 pm on Tuesday at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here, according to Malik’s personal secretary K S Rana.

Satyapal Malik served as the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019. It was during his tenure that Article 370 was abrogated by the central government, converting the former state into three Union Territories.

Inspired by the socialist ideology of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Satyapal Malik entered politics in 1965-66. His leadership qualities were evident early on, as he served as the president of the Meerut College Students’ Union in 1966-67 and later as the president of the students’ union of the then Meerut University (now Chaudhary Charan Singh University) in 1968-69.

Deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Shri Satyapal Malik Ji. A fearless voice for farmers and the common people, his legacy will always be remembered. Fortunate to have spent moments of discussion and learning with him.

Om Shanti.#SatyapalMalik pic.twitter.com/LIKKg4M30D

— Manas choudhury (@ManasCOfficial) August 5, 2025

He made his legislative debut in 1974, winning the Baghpat Assembly seat on the ticket of the Bharatiya Kranti Dal and was appointed the party’s Chief Whip in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. His growing stature within the political landscape led to his appointment as the all-India general secretary of the newly formed Lok Dal in 1975. In 1980, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Lok Dal.

In 1984, he joined the Indian National Congress and was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986. He also served as the general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Congress committee. However, disillusioned by the Bofors scandal, he resigned from both the Congress and the Rajya Sabha in 1987.

The same year, he formed the ‘Jan Morcha’, which later merged with Janata Dal in 1988. During this period, he worked closely with former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh and actively participated in the Jan-Jagran movement. He held key roles in the Janata Dal as its Secretary and Spokesperson from 1987 to 1991 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Aligarh in 1989.

After a brief political hiatus, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004 and contested from the Baghpat Lok Sabha seat. In the following years, he rose steadily within the party ranks, serving as the vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP (2005-06), all-India Incharge of the BJP Kisan Morcha (2009), and later as national vice-president of the BJP in 2012.

He played a key role in shaping the party’s agricultural manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and was reappointed as National Vice President the same year, where he addressed several farmer rallies across the country. In recognition of his long-standing contribution to public life, he was appointed the Governor of Bihar in 2017. A year later, on August 23, 2018, he took oath as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

Throughout his political career, he has held various significant posts, including Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (1974-77), Member of Parliament in both the Rajya Sabha (1980-84, 1986-89) and Lok Sabha (1989-91), and Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism from April to November 1990. He also served as a member of the Panel of Chairmen in the Rajya Sabha and the Panel of Speakers in the Lok Sabha during his tenure. (ANI)