New Delhi: A heavyweight in Delhi politics and one of the last surviving Jana Sangh-era politicians, Vijay Kumar Malhotra's interests bled into several spheres, and sports and journalism were only two of them.

His death at 94 on Tuesday drew homilies from top leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed him as a people's man who kept his ear to the ground.

A beeline was formed outside his house in the national capital shortly after his death was announced at 6 am.

With his demise, the Kedar Nath Sahni-Madan Lal Khurana-VK Malhotra era in Delhi also came to a close, a party leader said.

The three wielded a clout in an era when the BJP had little influence in the city, as they helped it stay afloat against a formidable Congress.

Malhotra was born in Lahore, Pak

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