Former MLA Gangajal Meel dies at 80

Gangajal Meel, a veteran Jat leader and former MLA from Sriganganagar’s Suratgarh constituency, passed away on Monday. He was 80 years old.

Meel, who began his career as a police constable, rose to prominence through his own efforts. He had contested Assembly elections from Peelibanga and Suratgarh constituencies, being elected as the Congress MLA from Suratgarh in 2008.

His brother, Hazari Ram Meel, is the president of Suratgarh Panchayat Samiti.

Meel played a key role in getting his nephew, Prithvi Raj Meel, elected as the District Board chief in Sriganganagar. After Prithvi settled in Jaipur, the former MLA encouraged his nephew Hanuman Meel to contest the election on Congress ticket but the latter lost.

In Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts, Meel had a dominating role in the Congress, but when his family did not get a ticket from Suratgarh in the 2023 Assembly elections, he campaigned in favour of his arch political rival Ram Pratap Kasnia of the BJP. Congress state affairs incharge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa later announced his expulsion from the grand old party.