Senior BJP leader and Bilaspur MP Dilip Singh Judeo died on Wednesday after prolonged illness. He had been undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, when his condition became critical on Wednesday.
Judeo (64) is survived by his spouse and two sons.Born into the Jashpur royal family on March 8, 1949, Judeo was a known reformist. His re-conversion programme (Ghar Vapsi) made waves throughout central India.
Within the party, he carved out a niche for himself as there was virtually no match for him, political stature wise, in Jashpur, where he started his political career in 1978, when he became municipality chairman.
In 1988, he won the bypoll from Kharasia Assembly seat. He was elected MP in 1989 and remained member of lok Sabha till 1991. From 1992 to 1998, Judeo was Rajya Sabha member from Chhattisgarh.
In 2003, he was made Minister of State for Environment in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA Government at the Centre. This was the time when he suffered perhaps the most embarrassing moment of his political career, in terms of the CD scandal showing him taking bribe.
Nonetheless, he bounced back in 2009 when he was elected MP from Bilaspur by defeating Congress nominee Renu Jogi, spouse of Congress leader and Chhattisgarh’s former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.
His untimely death brought has covered Jashpur with a pall of gloom, along with the entire political spectrum of Chhattisgarh. The State Government has announced three-day State mourning, August 16-18. He will be accorded full state honours during cremation.
All BJP leaders and Congress leaders of Chhattisgarh as well as national BJP leaders have condoled Judeo’s death. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said Judeo was a popular, dedicated and an active public representative who was immensely popular in his ‘Karma Bhoomi’ (Jashpur). His social service and contribution towards furthering the cause of Hinduism was unparalleled, Singh added.
His staunch supporter and another BJP Rajya Sabha member, Nand Kumar Sai, said the State had lost “a towering leader and a fighter for the cause of the masses”.
Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi termed the death of Judeo “a great loss for the State” while Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Charandas Mahant regretted losing a “a great friend”.