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Lakhvinder Singh Rana (born 13 June 1968) is an Indian businessman and politician who has served in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly for two non-consecutive terms, representing the Nalagarh Assembly constituency from 2011 to 2012 and since 2017. Originally elected as a member of the Indian National Congress, Rana defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party in August 2022.

Early life and career

Rana was born on 13 June 1968 in the village of Joghon, Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh. Rana attended the Govt. Degree College Nalagarh and Himachal Pradesh University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988. In 1992, Rana became the director of the Himachal Pradesh Cooperative and Rural Development Bank, serving until 1997. The following year, he became a board member of the Himachal Pradesh Small Saving Bank, holding that position until 2003.

Political career

Rana's political career began in 1990, when he began serving in his local panchayat samiti as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, later also serving in the Solan district's Zila Parishad. From 1996 to 1997, Rana was a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a right-wing student organisation. In 1997, Rana became the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, serving until 1998, when he became the president of the Nalagarh BJP. From 2000 until 2003, Rana was the BJP district president in the Solan district.

In 2005, Rana left the BJP and switched his party affiliation to the Indian National Congress. In the 2007 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Rana stood as a candidate for the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, running as the INC nominee for the Nalagarh Assembly constituency, which was a BJP stronghold. Rana was defeated by BJP incumbent Hari Naraian Singh, receiving 25,108 votes compared to Singh's 28,929. In 2008, he served as the INC spokesman for the Solan district, and from 2008 until 2022, he served as a member of the Himachal Congress Executive Committee. He also served as the vice president of the state party.

Tenure in the legislative assembly

Following Singh's death in office in 2011, Rana stood as a candidate in the by-election to replace him. Rana narrowly defeated Gurnam Kaur of the BJP, receiving 28,799 votes compared to Kaur's 27,200. The following year, Rana ran for a full term in the 2012 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election; however, he was defeated by BJP nominee Krishan Lal Thakur, receiving 26,033 votes compared to Thakur's 35,341. In the 2017 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Rana narrowly defeated Thakur in a rematch, receiving 25,872 votes compared to Thakur's 24,630.

During his tenure in the legislative assembly, Rana has advocated for the improvement of infrastructure in Nalagarh, which is an industrial hub. Rana has supported the re-opening an old colonial-era railway line that connects to Nalagarh from the town of Ghanauli in Punjab, and has claimed that the state has not sufficiently incentivized industrialists to operate in the area.

On 17 August 2022, Rana and Pawan Kumar Kajal, the working president of the state party, both defected and joined the BJP. The following day, the pair were officially expelled from the INC and were barred from re-joining for six years. The defection of the two senior Congress officials was deemed to be a major blow to the party just a few months prior to the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election.

Electoral performance

2007 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election : Nalagarh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BJP	Hari Naraian Singh	28,929	50.84%	8.61
	INC	Lakhvinder Singh Rana	25,108	44.12%	7.59
	BSP	Vinod Thakur	1,233	2.17%	New
	SP	Gurnam Singh	1,024	1.80%	New
	LJP	Chaudhary Gurbakhsh Singh	565	0.99%	New
Margin of victory			3,821	6.71%	1.03
Turnout			56,905	83.18%	2.71
Registered electors			68,414		8.38
	BJP hold		Swing	8.61

2011 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly by-election : Nalagarh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Lakhvinder Singh Rana	28,799	51.43%	7.31
	BJP	Gurnam Kaur	27,200	48.57%	2.27
Margin of victory			1,599	2.86%	3.86
Turnout			55,999	82.62%	0.56
Registered electors			67,780		0.93
	INC gain from BJP		Swing

2012 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election : Nalagarh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	BJP	Krishan Lal Thakur	35,341	55.60%	7.03
	INC	Lakhvinder Singh Rana	26,033	40.96%	10.47
	BSP	Anant Ram	610	0.96%	New
	SP	Gurnam Singh	597	0.94%	New
	HLC	Pola Ram Dhang Wala	537	0.84%	New
	LJP	Gurbax Singh Chauhan	380	0.60%	New
Margin of victory			9,308	14.64%	11.79
Turnout			63,563	85.59%	2.97
Registered electors			74,262		9.56
	BJP gain from INC		Swing	4.17

2017 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election : Nalagarh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Lakhvinder Singh Rana	25,872	36.30%	4.66
	BJP	Krishan Lal Thakur	24,630	34.55%	21.05
	Independent	Hardeep Singh Bawa	13,095	18.37%	New
	Independent	Harpreet Singh Saini	5,443	7.64%	New
	NOTA	None of the Above	678	0.95%	New
	Independent	Gurnam Singh	613	0.86%	New
Margin of victory			1,242	1.74%	12.90
Turnout			71,281	86.19%	0.60
Registered electors			82,701		11.36
	INC gain from BJP		Swing	19.30

2022 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election : Nalagarh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Krishan Lal Thakur	33,427	44.51%	New
	INC	Hardeep Singh Bawa	20,163	26.85%	9.45
	BJP	Lakhvinder Singh Rana	17,273	23.00%	11.55
	Rashtriya Devbhumi Party	Jagdish Chand	1,146	1.53%	New
	AAP	Dharam Pal	1,108	1.48%	New
	NOTA	Nota	590	0.79%	0.17
	BSP	Paras Bains	555	0.74%	New
	Independent	Jagpal Singh Rana	534	0.71%	New
Margin of victory			13,264	17.66%	15.92
Turnout			75,101	81.67%	4.52
Registered electors			91,955		11.19
	Independent gain from INC		Swing	8.21

References

1. ^ "Sh. Lakhvinder Singh Rana". Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
2. Madhuri (7 November 2017). "Congress candidate from Nalagarh assembly seat in Himachal: Lakhvinder Singh Rana". OneIndia. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
3. ^ "Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh) Assembly Constituency Elections". elections.in. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
4. "Himachal Congress working president Pawan Kumar Kajal joins BJP". Punjab News Express. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
5. "BJP wins Renuka assembly seat, Congress from Nalagarh". DNA India. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
6. "BJP wins Renuka, Congress from Nalagarh seat". India Today. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
7. "Himachal minister warns of looming water crisis, says sources drying up". The Indian Express. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
8. "In rural Himachal Pradesh, 32% shortage of doctors, claims Theog MLA". The Indian Express. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
9. "Ahead of Assembly Elections, Congress MLAs Pawan Kajal, Lakhvinder Singh Rana join BJP". Times Now. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
10. "Congress Expels MLAs Pawan Kumar Kajal, Lakhvinder Rana From Party Membership for Six Years for 'Anti-Party' Activities After Both Join BJP". LatestLY. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
11. "Congress leaders Pawan Kajal, Lakhvinder Singh Rana join BJP". News9Live. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
12. Election Commission of India. "Himachal Pradesh General Legislative Election 2017". Retrieved 8 July 2021.

• 1968 births
• Living people
• People from Solan district
• Himachal Pradesh University alumni
• 20th-century Indian businesspeople
• 21st-century Indian businesspeople
• 20th-century Indian politicians
• Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Himachal Pradesh
• Former members of Indian National Congress from Himachal Pradesh
• Himachal Pradesh MLAs 2007–2012
• Himachal Pradesh MLAs 2017–2022