Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand , N D Tiwari, passed away on Thursday afternoon after a prolonged stint of hospitalisation in New Delhi.
Mr. Tiwari who began his career with the erstwhile Praja Socialist Party (PSP) to then serve his entire career in the Congress was 93 at the time of his death. Apart from serving as the Minister of External Affairs in the Rajiv Gandhi Cabinet between 1986 and 1987, Mr. Tiwari was thrice elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in varied stints between 1976 and 1977, 1984 and 1985, 1988 and 1989, and was for one term the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, between 2002 and 2007.
Considered the leader of the pro-Sonia Gandhi faction during the Narasimha Rao years of the Congress, Mr. Tiwari was known for being a canny politician and a good administrator. He was credited with much of the manufacturing industry that made its way to Uttar Pradesh. His later career, as governor of Andhra Pradesh (2007-09) was marred however by a sex scandal and had to vacate the Hyderabad Raj Bhawan thereafter.
His retirement years were also peppered with news of a paternity suit filed against him by Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, whom the late leader then legitimised by marrying Ujjwala Tiwari.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was one of the first to condole the death of Mr. Tiwari, who had remained an influential figure in the State well into his retirement.
