J-K polls: Secret to BJP's multi-crore bizman Devender Rana's win

From building a multi-crore company from scratch to becoming a prominent politician who wielded influence in the corridors of power, Bharatiya Janata Party's Devender Singh Rana is a strong voice for the Jammu region's dominating Dogra community.

Rana registered the highest winning margin of 30472 votes against his nearest National Conference rival Joginder Singh who polled 17641 votes.

Rana has secured a victory on Nagrota assembly seat for the second term.

He has been advocating strongly for the narrative of a Dogra chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir.

Once a trusted lieutenant of the former National Conference president Omar Abdullah and his political advisor during his tenure as chief minister, Rana holds considerable sway among Muslims, particularly the Gujjar community in Jammu.

His mass appeal and connections with both Hindu and Muslim communities, including the Gujjar community, further solidified his standing.

The 59-year-old BJP leader is among the political entrepreneurs who innovate and lead in politics.

Born into a Dogra family in Jammu's Doda district in 1965, Rana is the son of former bureaucrat Rajinder Singh Rana and the brother of Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

After graduating in civil engineering from NIT Kurukshetra, he ventured into business by founding his own automobile company.

Leading from the front, Rana built the multi-crore Jamkash Vehicleades group from scratch, establishing himself as one of the top entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir.

He entered politics by joining the National Conference at a young age.

He rose to prominence as one of its key strategists, expanding the party's base in Jammu as provincial president and advisor.

In the NC, he quickly became a trusted lieutenant of former chief minister Omar Abdullah.

As Omar's political advisor, Rana was instrumental in shaping party strategies, particularly in the Jammu region.

In his debut bid for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, Rana fought his political career's first election from the Nagrota assembly segment in Jammu region, which was a bastion of Bharatiya Janata Party, and won it for the NC.

This victory was significant, as the Nagrota seat had traditionally been a stronghold for the BJP, with the party's Jugal Kishore Sharma (three-time MP) having won it in both 2002 and 2008.

Rana's success demonstrated his ability to transcend party lines and connect with a diverse voter base. Before this, he previously served as an MLC and as provincial president of the NC starting from 2009.

Post abrogation of Article 370, Rana has been a vocal advocate for the Jammu Declaration -- a collective effort demanding the restoration of statehood specifically for the Jammu region.

The reports suggested his advocacy for the Jammu Declaration clashed with the goals of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration -- a coalition aiming to restore Article 370 and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

He resigned from the NC in October 2021 after over two decades with the party and joined the BJP.

His deep roots in the Jammu region and his rapport with local communities have made him a well-known face in the political landscape, particularly for BJP.

Recently, he courted controversy during election campaigning when he engaged in heated exchanges with Omar Abdullah regarding the "unconditional" support extended to the BJP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014.

On the campaign trail in the recent assembly elections, Rana accused Omar of claiming that all political parties in Kashmir are aligned with the BJP, which he refuted as untrue.

"Now you (Omar) are asserting that Ram Madhav is close to PDP, but the reality is that you sought meetings with top BJP and RSS leaders multiple times to form the government in J&K," Rana had said.

Omar retaliated, questioning Rana's credibility, stating, "He is not a trustworthy person; he has misled me for all these years."

As he transitions into his new political role, Rana remains focused on key issues such as the chief minister from Jammu, regional empowerment and fostering unity among various communities in the region.

His experience, connections, and dedication to regional causes make him a pivotal figure in the future of Jammu and Kashmir politics.