CM Sukhu to pay tribute at last rites of MLA Nand Lal in Devthi
Synopsis
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will personally attend the last rites of Nand Lal, the sitting MLA for Rampur and chairman of Himachal Pradesh's 7th State Finance Commission, at his ancestral village Devthi on 4 November 2026.
Key Takeaways
Nand Lal , MLA for Rampur assembly constituency in Shimla district, has passed away.
He also served as chairman of the 7th State Finance Commission of Himachal Pradesh , a statutory body under Article 243-I .
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will attend the funeral at Devthi village , Nand Lal's ancestral home, on 4 November 2026 .
His death creates a vacancy in both the Rampur assembly seat and the Finance Commission chairmanship.
A by-election for the Rampur seat must be notified by the Election Commission of India within six months under constitutional provisions.
A sitting legislator and the chairman of Himachal Pradesh's 7th State Finance Commission has passed away — and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will travel to the village of Devthi on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, to pay his personal respects at the funeral.
Posting on behalf of the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh announced: 'आज रामपुर विधानसभा क्षेत्र के विधायक एवं 7वें राज्य वित्त आयोग के अध्यक्ष स्व. श्री नंद लाल जी के पैतृक गांव देवठी में उनके अंतिम संस्कार में शामिल होकर श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करूँगा।' ('Today I will attend and offer condolences at the last rites of the late Shri Nand Lal Ji — MLA for Rampur assembly constituency and Chairman of the 7th State Finance Commission — at his ancestral village Devthi.')Who was Nand Lal — and why the seat he held matters
Nand Lal represented the Rampur assembly constituency, a segment of Shimla district that hugs the Sutlej valley in the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh. Beyond the legislature, he held a constitutionally significant role: chairperson of the 7th State Finance Commission, the statutory body constituted under Article 243-I of the Constitution to recommend how state funds are devolved to panchayats and municipalities across Himachal. The Commission is convened every five years, and its recommendations shape the fiscal architecture of local self-governance for millions of residents. His death removes a sitting lawmaker and a serving commission chief simultaneously — an uncommon double vacancy in a small hill-state assembly.CM Sukhu's personal presence at Devthi
In Himalayan states with compact legislatures, the chief minister's physical presence at a legislator's last rites carries weight beyond protocol. It is a signal — to the constituency, to the family, and to the assembly — that the loss is acknowledged at the highest level of the executive. CM Sukhu, who has led the Congress government in Shimla since December 2022, is making the journey to Devthi village, Nand Lal's ancestral home, to fulfil that obligation in person. The gesture cuts across the texture of competitive Himachal politics: chief ministers in this state have conventionally attended last rites of legislators irrespective of party lines, a practice that reflects the intimate scale of a 68-seat assembly where personal relationships transcend floor divisions.What follows — the Rampur seat and the Finance Commission
Two institutional questions now move to the front. First, the Rampur assembly seat falls vacant with the death of a sitting MLA, triggering the constitutional requirement for a by-election to be notified by the Election Commission of India within six months. Second, the state government will need to appoint a new chairperson to the 7th State Finance Commission so that its devolution recommendations — critical for panchayati raj bodies — can proceed without prolonged interruption. For Rampur's constituents in the Sutlej valley, today is first a day of mourning. The governance questions will follow soon enough.Point of View
When notified, will serve as an early mid-term barometer for the Sukhu government's standing in a Shimla-district seat with significant Sutlej-valley rural weight. Separately, the government's speed in reconstituting the Finance Commission chairmanship will indicate how seriously it treats panchayati raj fiscal devolution as a governance priority.
NationPress
4 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nand Lal, the Rampur MLA from Himachal Pradesh?
Nand Lal was the sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly from Rampur constituency in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh, and served as chairman of the 7th State Finance Commission of the state.
What is the 7th State Finance Commission of Himachal Pradesh?
The 7th State Finance Commission is a statutory body constituted under Article 243-I of the Constitution to recommend how Himachal Pradesh devolves funds to panchayats and municipalities; it is reconstituted every five years.
Why is CM Sukhu attending the last rites of Nand Lal?
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced he will personally attend the funeral at Devthi village to offer condolences, following the convention in Himalayan states of chief ministers attending legislators' last rites as a mark of official and personal respect.
Where is Devthi village, the location of Nand Lal's last rites?
Devthi is Nand Lal's ancestral village, located in the Rampur assembly constituency area of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.
Will there be a by-election for the Rampur assembly seat?
Yes. With a sitting MLA's death, the Rampur seat falls vacant and the Election Commission of India is constitutionally required to notify a by-election within six months.
