Tarn Taran MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal passes away; CM Mann condoles demise

Amritsar, Jun 27 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Tarn Taran, Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, passed away at the age of 66 at a hospital here on Friday.

He had been suffering from cancer for more than three years.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condoled his party legislator's demise.

"Received the sad news of the sudden demise of our party's respected MLA from Tarn Taran, Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal ji. I am very sad to hear this," Mann posted on X on Friday.

He described Dr Sohal as a hardworking and dedicated leader.

"My heartfelt condolences to his family...May God grant peace to the departed soul and give courage to the family and loved ones in this difficult time," Mann said in the post.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also expressed grief over Dr Sohal's demise.

"He was a very hard working, dedicated and helpful person. He produced yeoman services for Aam Aadmi Party and his constituency," he said, according to an official statement.

The MLA's demise will necessitate an assembly byelection, which will be the seventh one since the AAP government was formed over three years ago.

Of the six assembly polls, the ruling party has won five of them, including the recent one in which AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora won the Ludhiana West seat.

The bypoll -- held on June 19 -- was necessitated following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January.

Before joining politics, Dr Sohal worked as an eye specialist in the Health Department. After his retirement, he used to treat patients free of cost.

He was seen in Tarn Taran in many roles -- a social reformer, sports promoter and environmentalist -- and known for his contribution to rural healthcare.

He is survived by his wife and two children (a son and a daughter), both of whom are doctors by profession.

He was elected for the first time as an MLA from the Tarn Taran constituency in the previous Punjab Assembly elections in 2022.

He had joined the AAP just two years before the elections. PTI JMS SUN AS AS