Balbir Punj, a senior leader of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former member of the Rajya Sabha (India's upper house of parliament), died on Saturday evening, April 18, 2026, after a period of illness. The 76-year-old had also served as a vice president of the BJP and had longstanding ties to the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the Hindu nationalist organisation closely associated with the party. Beyond politics, Punj had a distinguished career in journalism spanning several decades, including senior editorial roles at the Financial Express and The Observer of Business and Politics.