Satya Pal Malik’s Path to Raj Bhavan: How a Grassroots Politician Became Jammu and Kashmir’s Last Governor

Satya Pal Malik, who passed away on August 5, 2025, was the last Governor of Jammu and Kashmir before it was stripped of its statehood and reorganized into two Union Territories. A veteran of Indian politics, Malik’s journey from the sugarcane fields of western Uttar Pradesh to the politically sensitive Raj Bhavan in Srinagar is a tale of persistence, shifting loyalties, and unshaken belief in his own principles.

He was born in 1946 in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, into a farming family and lost his father at a young age. He developed a deep-rooted understanding of agrarian concerns from an early age. A law graduate with an interest in poetry and history, he began his political journey during his university years in Meerut. His advocacy for farmers’ rights caught the attention of Chaudhary Charan Singh, who would later become a major influence on his career.

From Baghpat to Delhi: A Political Journey Begins

Malik’s political debut came in 1974 when he won the Baghpat Assembly seat on a Bharatiya Kranti Dal ticket. He later switched to the Congress and entered the Rajya Sabha in 1980. In 1989, amid growing national discontent, he joined the Janata Dal and won the Aligarh Lok Sabha seat, becoming a minister in the V.P. Singh government.

Loyalty Amid Setbacks: BJP’s Trusted Face in the West

Although electoral success eluded him after 1989, Malik stayed relevant. After a brief stint with the Samajwadi Party, he joined the BJP in 2004. His loyalty paid off, he was made BJP’s national vice-president in 2012 and played a crucial role in western UP after the Muzaffarnagar riots.

Stepping into Raj Bhavan: The Jammu and Kashmir Appointment

In 2017, Satya Pal Malik was appointed Governor of Bihar. Just a year later, he was transferred to Jammu and Kashmir, a politically sensitive assignment. He oversaw the state during the historic abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, making him the last Governor of J&K before its bifurcation.

Legacy in Transition

Though later critical of the government, Satya Pal Malik’s Jammu and Kashmir appointment marked a high point in his long and turbulent political career, entrusted with the state during a transformative period in India’s constitutional history.

Also Read: Satya Pal Malik’s Final Interview: Bold Claims on Pahalgam, Pulwama, and Kashmir’s Pain