Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh dies at 87

Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh died here in the wee hours of Thursday (July 8) after a prolonged illness. He was 87.

“Former CM Virbhadra Singh ji died at the Indira Gandhi medical college Hospital here around 4 am due to multi-organ failure,” Dr Janak Raj, senior medical superintendent of the IGMC told the media.

The doctor said Singh was critical after he suffered a heart attack on Monday. While he was shifted to the critical care unit of the hospital, he was put on a ventilator under the supervision of doctors at the cardiology department on Wednesday after he experienced breathing problems.

He had tested positive for COVID-19 twice – on April 12 and for the second time on June 11.

arlier, he was admitted to a hospital in Chandigarh after he tested positive for coronavirus on April 12.

Mr Singh had returned home in Holly Lodge here on April 30 from the Chandigarh hospital after getting cured of the first infection.

However, he was admitted to IGMC within hours after reaching home, as he complained of cardiac and breathing problems. He was under treatment in the hospital ever since then.

He is survived by wife Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya Singh, both politicians. While Pratibha is a former MP, Vikramaditya is an MLA from Shimla rural.

Singh was Himachal’s chief minister for six times – from April 8, 1983 to March 5, 1990; December 3, 1993 to March 23, 1998 and from March 6, 2003 to December 29, 2007 and for the sixth time from December 25, 2012 to December 26, 2017.

He was also the leader of the Opposition from March 1998 to March 2003.

(With inputs from agencies)