Former Rajasthan minister Bharat Singh Kundanpur passes away

Jaipur, Oct 7 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan minister Bharat Singh Kundanpur passed away at a hospital here. He was 75.

Kundanpur was suffering from a respiratory illness. He was first admitted to a hospital in Kota and later shifted to the SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where he breathed his last on Monday night.

His last rites will be performed on Tuesday at his native village Kundanpur in Kota district.

A four-time MLA, Kundanpur was known for his outspoken nature. He often grabbed headlines for speaking out against his own party's government.

During Ashok Gehlot's third tenure as chief minister from 2018-2023, he had publicly accused minister Pramod Jain Bhaya of corruption and irregularities in mining activities, even going so far as to shave his head in protest. He had written multiple letters to the then chief minister against the alleged corruption.

He served as Panchayati Raj minister in the Gehlot government. He later contested the gram panchayat elections and became ward panch from Kunadanpur gram panchayat in Kota.

Gehlot and other leaders condoled the death of Kundanpur.

"Bharat Singh Kundanpur was a fearless and honest leader who set an example in politics and public service. He was a tall leader of the Hadoti region. I have had close relations with his family since the time of his father," Gehlot told reporters.

Kundapur was committed, honest, and straightforward, he said.

"When he lost the Assembly election, he became a panch in his village, which shows his dedication to grassroots democracy. His passing is a personal loss to me and a big loss for the Congress party and the people of Hadoti," he added.PTI SDA DV DV