Jammu: Former MLA Jagdish Raj Spolia passed away at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness at his residence in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, his family said on Monday.
Spolia is survived by his wife and two sons.
A two-time MLA from the Basohli constituency of Kathua, Spolia was first elected to the Assembly in 1987 on a Congress ticket.
However, he left the Congress and joined the BJP in 1999. He returned to the Assembly in 2008, winning the seat on a BJP ticket.
He later rejoined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Assembly elections.
He subsequently returned to the BJP but remained bedridden for a prolonged period due to illness. He breathed his last at his residence on Sunday evening.
His last rites were performed at Shanti Ghat in Basohli on Monday forenoon, with a large number of people attending the cremation to pay their final respects.
