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DHARAMSHALA: He grew up in a nondescript village in Himachal Pradesh and went on to establish his business worth millions in Saudi Arabia.On Monday, Prakash Rana from Gulvan village of Mandi district and a firsttimer in electoral politics, shot into prominence when he defeated former minister Gulab Singh Thakur, a BJP stalwart and father-in-law of BJP MP Anurag Thakur.Rana, who scripted an upset as big as the loss of Anurag’s father and former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, won Jogindernager with a huge margin of 6,635 votes.An Independent, Rana returned from Saudi Arabia after 30 years to live in his village. The surprise winner said he returned to fulfil the dreams of his father, Prem Rana, who had served the Army.“I have returned to serve the people of my village, leaving my son to take care of my business. I have donated 10% of my earnings from the day I began earning,” said Rana, adding that he was forced to contest the election as his area lagged in development and it was his father’s dream to work for its uplift.Villagers in Gulvan say Rana returned home two years ago and since then has assisted locals in various ways — building roads, providing financial aid for getting girls from poor families married, and organising sports tournaments for the youth.Rana has built a large mansion for his family in his village and a private helipad near his residence. He owns a helicopter and a fleet of cars, including a Mercedes. People say he commutes between New Delhi and his village by helicopter. “I am not contesting for money, but for development of my area,” said Rana.Surinder Bhardwaj, one of Rana’s relatives, told TOI Rana has his own ventures in the transportation sector, the travel industry and a jewellery business. He owns hotels, jewellery showrooms and long-haul transportation vehicles. According to his affidavit, he has movable assets of Rs 16.9 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 3.91crore.