Congress strongman and ex-MLA Jai Kishan dies at 66: ‘Even if he was not winning polls, he was loved’

According to his family, Kishan was diabetic and was “depressed” after his third consecutive loss in the Delhi elections in February.

Standing with folded hands, bidding adieu to all who came to attend his father’s funeral, was Rahul Dhaka. “Around 1 am, the doctors declared him dead,” he says. “Though he went to the AICC session, he had not taken his loss in the elections well. He was very depressed,” Dhaka, Delhi Youth Congress general secretary and Kishan’s elder son, adds.

A prominent Dalit face in the Capital, Jai Kishan won the Sultanpur Majra seat in Northwest Delhi in 1993, 2003, 2008 and 2013. In the 1998 polls, he fielded his wife, Sushila Devi, who also won the seat.

A sanitation worker before he began his political journey, Jai Kishan joined the Congress in 1980 and served in various organisational roles, including as AICC general secretary and Delhi Congress vice-president.

A garland, with a white sheet of paper bearing the name ‘Rahul Gandhi’ taped to it, was put on Kishan’s body by Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav – the only party bigwig to attend the funeral.

“He was a very grounded leader. He was elected again and again because of what he had done for the people. Till his last breath, he was fulfilling his social duties. Whatever you see in Majra – schools, colleges, hospitals – is due to him. He specifically focused on promoting education among the children,” says Yadav.

A crowd puller, known to fill up grounds during rallies of Congress leaders like Sheila Dikshit, Jai Kishan last addressed a crowd to mark Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.

“He gave a rousing speech that day. It didn’t look like he was sick or even worn out. We have lost a firebrand Dalit leader. He was there for people from every community. When he was an MLA, he went to the L-G to stop demolition of jhuggis in Narela, which is not even his constituency,” says Sanjeev Kumar Sood, who organised the programme Jai Kishan attended on April 14.

Suresh, now attached to AAP, was a Youth Congress leader when Jai Kishan was MLA. “Even if he was not winning polls, he was loved in Sultanpur… He was one of the most accessible people in politics. When he was MLA, it felt like Sultanpuri was his and he was ours. His influence was such.”

Tributes poured in for the veteran leader from the Congress’s top brass.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X, stated, “The demise of former AICC Secretary and five-time MLA from Delhi, Jai Kishan ji is an irreparable loss for the Congress Party. As a dedicated Congress worker, he served the people and contributed to the empowerment of the underprivileged sections of society.”

“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, relatives and supporters of the departed soul. Heartfelt tribute,” he added.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal posted, “On behalf of the entire Congress family, I convey our heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters. He rose from a marginalised background to go on and serve the public and the party with immense dedication for many years, and left an indelible mark on the lives he touched. May he rest in peace. Om Shanti.”