Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and one of the capital’s tallest political figures, Professor Vijay Kumar Malhotra, passed away at the age of 94 on September 30. The party confirmed that Malhotra, who had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS for the past few days, breathed his last earlier in the day.
“With deep sorrow, we have to inform that senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party and the first president of Delhi BJP, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, passed away this morning,” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said. Describing him as a man of “simplicity and dedication to public service,” Sachdeva added that his life would remain a source of inspiration for generations of BJP workers.
Malhotra’s passing comes just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi BJP’s new permanent office at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, marking an emotional moment for the party that he helped build brick by brick in the national capital.
Born in 1931, Malhotra began his political journey as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Pracharak and was one of the founder members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. He was arrested under the Preventive Detention Act in 1953 along with Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and NC Chatterjee. A staunch nationalist, he spent six years in jail during the satyagraha for making Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of India and another 19 months during the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi.
Over the decades, Malhotra became synonymous with BJP’s rise in Delhi. He was elected a five-time MP and served two terms as MLA, also leading the party as Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. In Parliament, he served as a four-time Lok Sabha MP and one-time Rajya Sabha MP, eventually becoming Deputy Leader and Spokesperson of the BJP Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha. He was a regular contributor and a supporter to Organiser Weekly.
A highlight of his political career came in 1999 when he defeated former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the South Delhi constituency by a huge margin. In 2004, he stood tall as the only BJP candidate to win a Lok Sabha seat in Delhi, even as the Congress swept the rest. His role in strengthening the party in the capital over four decades was unparalleled.
Beyond politics, Malhotra was a multifaceted personality: an educationist, journalist, administrator, writer, social worker, and sports enthusiast. He also served as President of the All-India Council of Sports between 2002 and 2004.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on X, calling Malhotra a “leader connected to the grassroots” with a deep understanding of people’s issues. “He will always be remembered for his activism and contributions in Parliament. My deepest condolences to his family members and well-wishers. Om Shanti,” the PM said.
जीवनपर्यंत जनसेवा में समर्पित रहे भाजपा के वरिष्ठ नेता विजय कुमार मल्होत्रा जी के निधन से गहरा दुख हुआ है। वे जमीन से जुड़े ऐसे नेता थे, जिन्हें जनता के मुद्दों की गहरी समझ थी। दिल्ली में पार्टी को सशक्त बनाने में उन्होंने अहम भूमिका निभाई। संसद में अपनी सक्रियता और योगदान के लिए… pic.twitter.com/aULfroSFEJ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 30, 2025
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed him as a pillar of the organization. “Whether as President of Delhi BJP, Leader of Opposition, or people’s representative, Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra ji served the country and people of Delhi in every role. In every meeting, I gained insights into many intricate aspects related to the organisation,” Shah said, adding that the BJP family stands with his loved ones in this moment of grief.
जनसंघ से लेकर जनता पार्टी और भाजपा तक संगठन को आकार और विस्तार देने में अहम भूमिका निभाने वाले भाजपा के वरिष्ठ नेता विजय कुमार मल्होत्रा जी के निधन से मन अत्यंत व्यथित है।
दिल्ली भाजपा में अध्यक्ष हों, दिल्ली विधानसभा में नेता प्रतिपक्ष या एक जन प्रतिनिधि, विजय कुमार मल्होत्रा…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 30, 2025
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described Malhotra as a stalwart who had a “special place in the history of Jana Sangh and BJP.” He noted Malhotra’s vast knowledge of the Constitution and called him a seasoned parliamentarian respected across the spectrum.
In the history of the Jana Sangh and BJP, stalwarts like Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra have a special place. He assiduously worked to strengthen our Party in Delhi. Widely respected for his knowledge of Indian Constitution he was a seasoned Parliamentarian who worked tirelessly among…
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 30, 2025
His mortal remains will be brought to his official residence at 21, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday for mourners to pay their last respects.
