JOIN US'King of Hearts' six-term Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh no more
Six-term Himachal Pradesh chief minister and Congress veteran Virbhadra Singh breathed his last early Thursday battling post-Covid complications, plunging the hill-state into mourning. He was 87.
Singh was admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and the last rites are scheduled for Saturday.
Popular as ‘Raja Sahib’, Singh ruled the hearts of Himachalis for over six decades and played a crucial role in developing health and education sectors, besides turning the hill-state into a popular tourism destination.
“Despite belonging to the royal lineage, his strength was his easy access to the people,” former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said hailing Virbhadra Singh as among the “tallest” Congress leaders of the country.
Singh was the titular Raja of the princely state of Bushahr from 1947 till 1971 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the privy purses and titles of the rulers of the princely states.
“He was a leader who understood the needs and aspirations of his people, who had his ear to the ground and his finger on their pulse. No wonder he was so loved and revered in every corner of Himachal Pradesh,” Congress President Sonia Gandhi said.
Singh was just 28 when he became an MP for the first time. Twenty years later, he became the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh in 1983 at the age of 48 succeeding Thakur Ram Lal, who was embroiled in the timbre smuggling scam.
Singh’s political career was marked with rivalries within the party and he managed to trump his opponents who had had the blessings of the party high command.
A nine-time MLA and five-time Lok Sabha member, Singh remained active in state and central politics throughout his life. He was elected from Arki Assembly seat in Solan district in the previous elections in December 2017.
Such was his popularity among the masses that he rarely campaigned in his constituency after filing his nomination papers and yet registered comfortable wins.
Singh began his political journey as a member of the Lok Sabha in 1962 when Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister and served as union minister in the governments led by Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Born on June 23, 1934, Singh was educated at Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun, St Edward’s School, Shimla, and Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. He graduated in English honours from St Stephen’s College in Delhi.
Recently, Singh was being investigated by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, and Income Tax Department in a disproportionate assets case.
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