Five-Time Shahpur MLA Dies at Ancestral Village
Kangra, September 29
Former Himachal Pradesh minister and five-time Shahpur MLA Major Vijay Singh Mankotia passed away on Tuesday morning at his ancestral village, Tyara, in Kangra district. His death has triggered a wave of grief across Shahpur and political circles in Himachal Pradesh.
A veteran politician with a career spanning several decades, Mankotia was known for his outspoken style and long association with the Shahpur Assembly constituency. He represented Shahpur in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly five times and also served as a minister in the state government. Mankotia entered electoral politics by winning the Shahpur Assembly seat as an Independent candidate in 1982. He subsequently joined the Congress and won the constituency again in 1985.
Over the course of his political career, Mankotia was associated with different political parties, including the Congress, Janata Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He later returned to the Congress before joining the BJP in 2022.His political career was marked by several electoral victories as well as frequent shifts in political affiliations, making him one of the prominent political figures from Kangra district.
Mankotia was also widely known for his political differences with former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Despite serving in the Congress and holding ministerial responsibilities, his relationship with Virbhadra Singh witnessed several ups and downs over the years. Their differences frequently spilled into the public domain and became a significant feature of Himachal Pradesh politics.
Mankotia had served as a minister in the Virbhadra Singh-led government and handled portfolios related to tourism and civil aviation. However, differences between the two leaders later intensified. Ahead of the 2007 Assembly elections, Mankotia moved away from the Congress and joined the BSP. He subsequently returned to the Congress.
Mankotia contested the 2012 Assembly election from Shahpur after returning to the Congress but was unsuccessful. He was subsequently appointed vice-chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board. In the 2017 Assembly elections, after being denied a Congress ticket, Mankotia contested from Shahpur as an Independent candidate. Ahead of the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of senior BJP leader JP Nadda.
Apart from electoral politics, Mankotia remained actively associated with issues concerning former defence personnel. A former Army officer himself, he frequently raised matters concerning ex-servicemen and was associated with the Himachal Pradesh Ex-Servicemen League.
He had also advocated the creation of a separate Himachal Regiment in the Indian Army. Mankotia’s death marks the end of a long political journey that witnessed major shifts in Himachal Pradesh politics. From winning Shahpur as an Independent to serving as a minister and later being associated with several major political parties, he remained an influential political voice in Kangra for decades. His demise has left his supporters and well-wishers across Shahpur and other parts of Himachal Pradesh mourning the loss of a veteran leader.
