Uttarakhand BJP MLA Surendra Jeena succumbs to virus days after losing wife to Covid

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

New Delhi, Nov 12, 2020:    Days after losing wife to deadly Coronavirus, senior BJP MLA from Uttarakhand’s Salt constituency Surendra Jeena, 50, died on Thursday morning at a Delhi hospital while undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

 

Jeena was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital after his condition deteriorated. On October 27, his wife Reeta died due to coronavirus in the national capital. After the untimely death of his wife, sources claimed that at times MLA even refused to have food due to which his blood sugar levels fluctuated.

“I am shocked. In Jeena we have lost an energetic partner” CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said. BJP has cancelled all party programs scheduled on Thursday.

A three-time MLA, Jeena was a New Delhi-based businessman and is survived by two sons. Known in his constituency in Almora district for helping several youths in getting jobs in the Delhi-NCR region, Jeena also ran a charitable trust in the name of his father which was instrumental in tying marital knots of women from the region.

Surendra Jeena first won as MLA from Bhikiyasen constituency in 2007 which was later renamed Salt. Since then he again won in 2012 and 2017. Interestingly he maintained to restrict his image as a ‘neutral man’ who hardly sided with any ‘camp’ within the party. At times while raising questions in the assembly he even did not spare BJP ministers from seeking a reply from them.

Jeena was a strong BJP leader who helped the party widening its base in the region. It won’t be easy for the ruling party to find a match who could fit in Jeena’s shoes.