Former Union minister Sriprakash Jaiswal dies at 81

Born in 1944 in Kanpur to Ganga Prasad Jaiswal and Chandrakali Devi, Sriprakash remained closely tied to his hometown throughout his life.

Kanpur/New Delhi: Former Union minister and veteran Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal died in Kanpur on Friday following a cardiac arrest. He was 81.

Jaiswal was first taken to a local nursing home in Kidwai Nagar this evening after his condition worsened and then shifted to the Cardiology Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Jaiswal married Maya Rani Jaiswal in 1967 and survived by two sons, one daughter and two grandchildren. His family was with him during his final hours.

Born in 1944 in Kanpur to Ganga Prasad Jaiswal and Chandrakali Devi, Jaiswal remained closely tied to his hometown throughout his life.

He held significant portfolios in the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. Jaiswal was the minister of state for home affairs from 2004 to 2009 and held the post of coal ministry from January 2011 to May 2014.

Before entering the Union Cabinet, he served as president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (2000-2002).

Condoling his death, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, Jaiswal was a "true and loyal Congressman who worked diligently for the development and welfare of Kanpur".

His departure is a big loss for the Congress party, he said in a post on X.

Senior party leader Har Prakash Agnihotri said Jaiswal shaped Kanpur's political and civic landscape for over three decades.

A student of BNSD Inter College, he entered public service early and was elected Mayor of Kanpur in 1989, Agnihotori said.

In 1999, he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Kanpur constituency and retained the seat in 2004 and 2009, becoming a three-term MP and one of the most influential Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh, said Pawan Gupta, Congress party's city president.

In 2009, following attacks on Indian students in Australia, Jaiswal travelled to Melbourne to review the situation first hand. His visits to hospitals, temples and public transport systems helped bring international attention to the issue.

Even after his defeat in the 2014 elections, Jaiswal remained active in Kanpur's political and social life.