Punjab’s Congress MLA from Mukerian Assembly seat Rajnish Kumar Babbi passed away on Tuesday following a prolonged illness.
The 59-year-old two-time legislator breathed his last at around 3 am at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, expressing profound grief over the demise of sitting Congress MLA, termed it as a personal loss. “Deeply anguished to learn of the death of Mukerian MLA, Rajnish Kumar Babbi ji. His untimely passing away is an immeasurable loss for Punjab. My thoughts are with his family in this time of grief,” he said in a tweet.
Babbi was the son of former Speaker of Punjab Assembly and former State Finance Minister late Kewal Krishan.
He was first elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the 2012 Assembly polls as an Independent from Mukerian seat after being denied ticket by the Congress.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, Babbi, who was fielded by the Congress, had defeated BJP nominee Arunesh Kumar from Mukerian Assembly segment.
The Chief Minister, in his condolence message, described Babbi as a seasoned politician, who inherited a legacy of value-based politics from his father and party stalwart Dr Kewal Krishan.
Recalling his outstanding services in strengthening the party at the grassroots levels, Capt Amarinder said that Babbi worked tirelessly for the overall development of Kandi region in general and the Mukerian in particular, besides ensuring the welfare of the disadvantaged sections of the society.
Sharing his heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved family, Capt Amarinder prayed to the Almighty to give strength to bear their loss and grant eternal peace to the departed soul.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has declared a holiday in its offices, boards, corporations and educational institutions for the remaining part of the day as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
State mourning has also been announced for August 27 (Tuesday), during which the national flag flew half-mast and all official entertainment functions were cancelled.