Veteran Rajasthan BJP leader Suryakanta Vyas 'Jiji' passes away

Jodhpur: Veteran BJP leader and former Jodhpur MLA Suryakanta Vyas passed away here early Wednesday. She was 86.

Vyas had been ailing and was confined to bed for the past few months, her family said.

The six-time MLA from Jodhpur's Soorsagar and earlier City constituency had begun her political career as a councilor and played a significant role in Jodhpur's development during the governments of Vasundhara Raje and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

Even during Ashok Gehlot's tenure as chief minister, she contributed to the region's growth.

Fondly known as 'Jiji', Vyas was born on February 23, 1938, and contested MLA elections seven times since 1990, winning six of them. She served as an MLA from Jodhpur and Surasagar three times each. In the 2023 elections, she was not given a ticket due to her advanced age.

Governor Hari Bhau Bagde condoled the demise of the senior BJP leader.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also expressed grief over her demise and recalled his meeting with Vyas a few days ago. He termed her death as a huge loss for the party.