CM Sukhu Mourns Nand Lal Ji, to Attend Last Rites Tuesday
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A phone call to a grieving son, a promise to be present at the funeral — and a public acknowledgement of irreplaceable loss. The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh shared a personal statement on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, in which Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep condolences on the passing of Nand Lal Ji and confirmed he would attend the funeral the following day.
Posting on behalf of the Chief Minister, the office shared his words: 'उनके बेटे से फ़ोन पर बात की। उन्होंने कहा कि आप अपना तय कार्यक्रम जारी रखिए।' — 'I spoke with his son on the phone. He told me to continue with my scheduled programme.' Despite that request, CM Sukhu made clear he would set aside his programme and be present at the last rites. 'Nand Lal Ji's passing is an irreplaceable loss for all of us,' he said.A Personal Gesture from the Chief Minister
The statement is notable for its human register — a direct phone call to the bereaved son rather than a formal bureaucratic communiqué. CM Sukhu, who has led the Indian National Congress government in Himachal Pradesh since December 2022, chose to speak in the first person, lending the tribute a personal weight that official condolence letters rarely carry. The son's own request — that the Chief Minister not disrupt his schedule — was recorded and then gently overridden, signalling the depth of the relationship.
Funeral Confirmed for Wednesday
The Chief Minister confirmed that the last rites of Nand Lal Ji would take place on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, and that he would be in attendance. In Himachal Pradesh's political culture, a sitting Chief Minister's presence at a funeral carries significant weight — it is both a mark of personal respect and a public signal of the esteem in which the deceased was held. The commitment to attend, even after being urged not to, underscores how deeply the Chief Minister felt the loss.
State leaders attending last rites is a well-established tradition in Indian politics — a moment where governance pauses and grief takes precedence. For the family of Nand Lal Ji, that presence will mean considerably more than any formal resolution passed in a legislature.