Senior Bihar Congress leader Sadanand Singh (76) passed away on Wednesday. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Patna for the last two months.
Mr. Singh was the Congress Legislative Party leader in the Assembly and nine-time MLA from Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur. He was a Minister and Assembly Speaker (2000-2005) as well. He had served as the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president twice. In his political life of five decades, he lost the Assembly polls only thrice- in 1985, 1990 and 1995.
In the 2020 Assembly elections, he named his son, Subhanand Mukesh, as a candidate in Kahalgaon. But Mr. Mukesh lost to BJP’s Pawan Kumar Yadav.
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Condolences
Mr. Singh’s cremation will be done at his native village in Kahalgaon with full State honours. All senior leaders of the State, cutting across party lines, condoled his death. His body was taken to the Assembly premises for legislators to pay homage.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, “Congress leader Sadanand Singh was an experienced and popular leader while respected by leaders across party lines owing to his nature”.
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While referring him as one of his best friends, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad said, “Sadanand Singh was a mass leader and blessed with great organisational skills. “His contribution to Bihar’s development and social awakening cannot be forgotten”.
Mr. Prasad’s wife and party leader Rabri Devi, their younger son and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav also condoled the death of Mr. Singh.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Climate Change Ashwani Choubey, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad, State BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, senior State Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra, Former Chief Minister and president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) Jitan Ram Manjhi too paid their last respects to the leader.