Balbir Punj: Former Rajya Sabha MP and Senior BJP Leader Dies at 76
Former Rajya Sabha MP, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, and journalist Balbir Punj passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the age of 76. His death marks the end of a long and diverse career in public life, spanning politics, policy, and media.
Punj began his professional journey as a journalist in 1971 with the newspaper The Motherland. He later worked for two decades at the Financial Express and served as executive editor of The Observer of Business and Politics from May 1996 to March 2000. His contributions to journalism extended to institutional leadership: he served as President of the Delhi Journalists Association for two consecutive terms between 1989 and 1991, and as General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists from 1993 to 1995.
In politics, Punj was a former vice president of the BJP and had been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age. He served two terms as a member of the Rajya Sabha: from 2000 to 2006 representing Uttar Pradesh, and from 2008 to 2014 representing Odisha. He also chaired the National Commission for Youth, a position with Minister of State status in the central government.
Punj was regarded as an important figure in shaping the BJP’s public policy interventions and stances. He was also an author, writing Tryst with Ayodhya: Decolonisation of India (Kitab Wale). His death is a loss to both the political and journalistic communities.
