Kashmir's Dogra bros divided in politics

The fractured verdict in Jammu and Kashmir has thrown two brothers into the thick of negotiations on opposite sides of the political aisle.

The two Ranas of Jammu— Jitendra Singh and Devender Singh Rana—one a minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office and the other a close aide of former chief minister Omar Abdullah—hold sway in the state's post-election scenario.

Devender was picked up by National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah in 2001 and later made advisor to Omar Abdullah, who was chief minister.

Eleven years later, Jitendra, ten years older to Devender, also joined politics, but with the BJP. His meteoric rise had begun during the peak of the Amarnath land row in 2008 when right wing parties spearheading the agitation under the banner of Shri Amarnathji Sangharsh Samiti (SASS) needed a spokesperson.

Politics is kept aside when they are at the breakfast table, sources close to them say. But, outside they break their silence on their political views, revealing the ideological divergence on issues like Article 370.

After the results, the BJP and NC explored possibilities of forming government together. However, the talks between them ended in a deadlock following resistance in the NC over accepting a Hindu chief minister of the BJP. Incidentally, Jitendra Singh was one of the frontrunners for the post.

A day later, it was Devender Rana who announced his party's decision to offer unconditional support to the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's PDP.

Asked how he feels being a leader from Jammu in the party's Kashmir-centric politics, he says "our politics is Jammu and Kashmir centric. The NC is a party with presence in Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh. We have a mandate from every region."

An engineering graduate, the first generation entrepreneur wrested the Nagrota constituency, held by the BJP since 2002. After being principal advisor to the chief minister for five years, he was made provincial president, Jammu.

The Rana family's association with the Abdullah family goes back to the time of Sheikh Abdullah.

Jitendra, a doctor, had set up his clinic when he became SASS spokesperson. An alumnus of Stanley Medical College in Chennai, he Singh graduated from the state run medical college in Jammu and did his specialization in diabetes and endocrinology. He retired prematurely as a Professor in medical college to join politics.

He started writing a column in Kashmir Times around the same time when militancy gripped the state. But, unhappy with the newspaper's coverage of Kashmir, he switched over to Excelsior.

Insiders in the party said his oratory and knowledge were his best assets that led to his adoption by the top party leadership in Narendra Modi's inner circle. In June, 2011, US denied him a visa (for his 2008 role) for attending a conference in Washington, like Narendra Modi who was then Gujarat chief minister.

The party fielded Jitendra against Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad in Udhampur. He is key in formulating the party's strategy and policy on J&K and his suggestions are taken seriously by the party president and the PMO.

Soon after taking over as MoS, he sparked off a political row by talking of Article 370. His brother, Devendra joined issue with him saying that even Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee endorsed Article 370.