Who was Jagdish Raj Sapolia?

He was an Indian politician from Kathua district who was twice elected MLA for Basohli in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, in 1987 for the Congress and in 2008 for the BJP.

When did Jagdish Raj Sapolia die?

He died on the evening of Sunday 1 November 2026 at his home in Kathua district. His family announced it the next day.

How did Jagdish Raj Sapolia die?

He died after a prolonged illness that had left him bedridden for a long period.

Which parties did Jagdish Raj Sapolia belong to?

He began in the Indian National Congress, joined the BJP in 1999, returned to the Congress in 2014 after being denied a BJP ticket, and later rejoined the BJP.

Where were his last rites held?

At Shanti Ghat in Basohli on the morning of 2 November 2026.

Politics

Jagdish Raj Sapolia

† 2026 · Politician

“Twice the voice of Basohli, for whichever banner its people trusted him to carry.”

Portrait: Photo Sumbria.vikramaditya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

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Their story

Jagdish Raj Sapolia, whose surname is also spelled Spolia, was an Indian politician from Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir who represented the Basohli constituency twice in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Over a political life of more than three decades he moved between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, winning the seat for each of them. He died at his home in Kathua district on the evening of Sunday 1 November 2026, aged 80, after a long illness.

Sapolia first entered the Assembly in 1987, when he won Basohli on a Congress ticket with about 41 per cent of the vote, ahead of the independent candidate Lal Chand. He served through the turbulent 1987 to 1996 term. In 1999 he left the Congress and joined the BJP.

As the BJP candidate he lost Basohli to the Congress leader Lal Singh in the 2002 election, and lost again in a 2004 by-election to Kanta Andotra of the Congress. He finally returned to the Assembly in 2008, winning Basohli for the BJP with about 35 per cent of the vote ahead of Davinder Singh of the National Conference. During that term he was suspended by the BJP for a time before the party revoked the suspension.

Ahead of the 2014 Assembly election, the BJP denied him a ticket while he was still the sitting MLA, and he went back to the Congress. Standing for the Congress in Basohli, he finished well behind Lal Singh, who by then had joined the BJP. Sapolia later returned to the BJP, but in his final years he was bedridden by a prolonged illness.

News of his death was released by his family on Monday 2 November 2026 and reported by the Press Trust of India. His last rites were performed that morning at Shanti Ghat in Basohli, where a large crowd gathered to pay their respects. Union Minister Jitendra Singh called the news "extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching" and said his commitment to public service and contributions to the development of the region would always be remembered. Sapolia is survived by his wife and two sons, and is remembered in Basohli as one of the few politicians to have carried the constituency for both of the region's main national parties.

Biography adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), PTI via Daily Excelsior and Kashmir Life. Wikipedia ↗

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Jagdish Raj Sapolia, former MLA from Basohli
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Photo Sumbria.vikramaditya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Tributes

Memories, thanks and farewells from the people Jagdish Raj touched.

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Shirley Sharp

1d ago

Two different parties, same seat, 1987 and 2008. Not nothing.

April Reid21h ago

True, Basohli trusted the man more than the flag.

Candles

4 people are remembering Jagdish Raj here. Every candle here is someone saying they were glad Jagdish Raj lived. No account needed; it takes a moment and it stays here.

Justin Johnson

14h ago

Gabriela Rivera

1d ago

Early life

Jagdish Raj Sapolia came from Kathua district in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, and made his home there throughout his life. He was 80 at the time of his death in November 2026, which places his birth around 1946. His surname appears in news reports as both Sapolia and Spolia. Few details of his childhood and education have…

Political career

Sapolia was first elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from Basohli in 1987 on an Indian National Congress ticket, taking about 41 per cent of the vote ahead of the independent candidate Lal Chand. He served in the Assembly from 1987 to 1996. In 1999 he left the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. As the BJP…

In 1999 he left the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. As the BJP candidate he lost Basohli to Lal Singh of the Congress in 2002 and to Kanta Andotra of the Congress in a 2004 by-election. In 2008 he won the seat back for the BJP with about 35 per cent of the vote, defeating Davinder Singh of the National Conference, and sat in the Assembly until 2014. During that term the BJP suspended him for a period and later revoked the suspension.

Before the 2014 election the BJP refused him a ticket while he was still the sitting MLA, and he rejoined the Congress. He contested Basohli for the Congress and lost to Lal Singh, who was by then the BJP candidate. He later returned to the BJP.

Personal life

Sapolia lived in Kathua district and is survived by his wife and two sons. In his later years he was bedridden for a prolonged period because of illness, which kept him away from active politics.

Death

Jagdish Raj Sapolia died at his residence in Kathua district on the evening of Sunday 1 November 2026, aged 80, after a prolonged illness. His family announced the death the next day. His last rites were performed on the morning of Monday 2 November at Shanti Ghat in Basohli, attended by a large number of people. Union Minister Jitendra Singh…

Legacy

Sapolia is remembered as a two-time MLA for Basohli who won the seat for both the Congress and the BJP, a sign of a personal following that crossed party lines. Tributes after his death recalled his commitment to public service and his work for the development of the Basohli area.

Questions people ask about Jagdish Raj

Who was Jagdish Raj Sapolia?: He was an Indian politician from Kathua district who was twice elected MLA for Basohli in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, in 1987 for the Congress and in 2008 for the BJP.
When did Jagdish Raj Sapolia die?: He died on the evening of Sunday 1 November 2026 at his home in Kathua district. His family announced it the next day.
How did Jagdish Raj Sapolia die?: He died after a prolonged illness that had left him bedridden for a long period.
How old was Jagdish Raj Sapolia?: He was 80.
Which parties did Jagdish Raj Sapolia belong to?: He began in the Indian National Congress, joined the BJP in 1999, returned to the Congress in 2014 after being denied a BJP ticket, and later rejoined the BJP.
Where were his last rites held?: At Shanti Ghat in Basohli on the morning of 2 November 2026.
Who survives Jagdish Raj Sapolia?: His wife and two sons.

Written by People Forever from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the reporting cited. Updated 2 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Timeline

1 January 1987
Elected MLA for Basohli on a Congress ticket
1 January 1999
Leaves the Congress and joins the BJP
1 January 2002
Loses Basohli as BJP candidate
1 January 2004
Loses Basohli by-election
1 January 2008
Elected MLA for Basohli on a BJP ticket
1 January 2014
Denied BJP ticket, contests for the Congress and loses
1 November 2026
Dies at home in Kathua district aged 80
1 November 2026
Died in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, India
2 November 2026
Cremated at Shanti Ghat, Basohli

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