Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh passed away in Shimla in the early hours of Thursday (July 8) after battling a prolonged illness at the age of 87.
The leader breathed his last at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here at 3.40 am. On Monday night, the condition of the Congress leader deteriorated after he suffered a cardiac arrest. Singh was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital and was on ventilator support. He was admitted there on April 23. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 11 for the second time in two months.
Virbhadra Singh dominated the political scene in the state for almost six decades. He was a nine-time MLA and five-time MP. Singh previously served as CM from 1983 to 1990, 1993 to 1998, 2003 to 2007 and 2012 to 2017. Singh also remained the leader of the Opposition from March 1998 to March 2003.
Singh entered the Lok Sabha in 1962 and repeated that success in the 1967 and 1971 elections. Singh also served as Union Deputy Minister, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Minister of State for Industries, Union Minister of Steel and Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Singh, who belonged to the royal family of Bushahr in Shimla district, is survived by his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh and four daughters. A decision on his cremation taking place in Shimla or his native place Rampur is likely to be taken by the family, later.