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| J&K's 'new power center', the Rana's of Doda | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 28: With the induction of Dr. Jatinder Singh in the Union Ministry, Rana's have become the most powerful family of Jammu and Kashmir.
They have even superseded Abdullah's and Mufti's of Kashmir valley. A family from a small village of Doda has reached heights of success and power in Jammu. A diabetician turned politician Dr. Jatinder Singh contested on a BJP ticket and defeated ex-Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, the lone Congress leader who was considered a favourite to win from the Doda-Udhampur parliamentary constituency.
Singh defeated Azad convincingly and went on to become a Union Minister with an additional charge of the Prime Minister's office. Prior to Singh, his younger brother Devinder Singh Rana rose to become number 2 in NC-Congress coalition government after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Within days of NC assuming office, Rana was appointed as the political advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
After three years in office where Rana enjoyed all powers, he was elected as the Provincial President of NC by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. As provincial president, Rana ensured that even the senior most cabinet ministers visited Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan. Not only this, his father-in-law Dr. S.S. Billowria become the first vice-chancellor of Central University (CU) Jammu.
This was followed by Mother-in-law of Rana, Rani Gargi Billowria being elected to the upper house of the state legislature. Rana family has risen within shortest time from a business family to a well-connected and highly influential political family having contacts in almost every part of the country and world. If the sources are to be relied upon, Rana would have become Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had Abdullah's decided to do away with the incumbent. |
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