Ex-MP and father of MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh passes away at 87

Gonda (UP), Jul 7 (PTI) Former member of Parliament from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh, Anand Singh, who was the father of Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, passed away in Lucknow at the age of 87.

According to his family sources, Singh's health suddenly deteriorated at his residence and he was rushed to a hospital, where he breathed his last on Sunday night.

Several political leaders, including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, expressed condolences on his death.

Adityanath wrote on X, "The demise of the respected father of Union Minister of State Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh ji and former minister of Uttar Pradesh government and former MP Shri Anand Singh ji is extremely sad. Humble tributes! I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed soul in his lotus feet and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti!" SP president Yadav wrote on X, "Former minister of UP government, former MP Gonda resident Raja Anand Singh ji passed away, extremely sad! May his soul rest in peace. Deep condolences to the bereaved family." The mortal remains of Anand Singh were brought to his ancestral home in Mankapur Kot at 11 am on Monday. It was kept for public viewing for about four hours. Thousands of people reached there to have the last glimpse of the leader.

At 3 pm, a kilometre-long funeral procession was taken out, in which thousands of people participated and bid a final farewell to the 'UP Tiger'. He was given a guard of honour and a salute with full state honours at the funeral site.

The funeral process began around 3.30 pm and at 4 pm, Kirti Vardhan Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who is a Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and External Affairs, lit the funeral pyre of his father. Tears rolled down his cheeks at this emotional moment.

While paying tributes, Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad said Anand Singh's behaviour and work were always inspiring. He said Akhilesh Yadav called him at 7 am and assured that he would also reach soon to meet the bereaved family.

Born on January 4, 1939, Singh hailed from the erstwhile Mankapur royal family. He was the son of Raja Raghvendra Pratap Singh, who had served as an MLA from the Swatantra Party.

After completing his early education at Colvin Taluqedar College in Lucknow, he pursued a BSc in Agriculture from the Agriculture Institute in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He subsequently managed the agricultural affairs of his estate.

Anand Singh was married to Veena Singh, daughter of former Rajya Sabha MP and Barabanki MLA Bindumati Devi. The couple had three daughters -- Niharika Singh, Radhika Singh and Shivani Rai, and one son Kirti Vardhan Singh, who currently represents Gonda in the Lok Sabha.

Anand Singh entered politics following the death of his father and was elected to the UP Assembly in 1964, 1967 and 1969.

On the advice of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, he joined the Congress, his family sources said. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Gonda in 1971 and again in 1980, 1984 and 1989.

However, in the 1991 general elections during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he was defeated by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In 1996, he lost the seat to Brijbhushan's wife Ketki Devi Singh, after which he distanced himself from parliamentary politics.

However, in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, he won from the Gaura constituency and served as the state's agriculture minister in the then SP government. After this, he retired from active politics.

Popularly known as the 'UP Tiger', Singh held considerable sway in the politics of eastern UP. His influence in the Gonda district was such that the party often handed him blank nomination forms without the candidates' names for assembly elections.

It was widely believed that an endorsement from the Mankapur royal household was enough to secure positions such as MLA, zila panchayat chairperson or block pramukh. PTI COR ABN NAV KSS KSS