Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh died at 87, PTI quoted Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla (IGMC) Medical Superintendent Janak Raj. 

Virbhadra was battling with prolonged illness and died in the early hours of July 8, ANI reports.

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The mortal remains of  Virbhadra Singh are being taken to medical college for embalming, ANI reports. Later, they will be taken to his residence from Shimla’s Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital.

The Congress leader was admitted to IGMC after recovering from COVID-19 last month. 

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On his birthday, June 23, Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya had said that the family would provide Rs 15,000 as financial help to the families of those who succumbed to COVID-19 in Arki and Shimla Rural assembly segments.

Singh represented the Arki assembly segment from the Solan district. He tested positive for COVID-19 twice in two months — April 12 and June 11. He was admitted to a hospital in Chandigarh after he tested positive for coronavirus the first time. He returned home on April 30.

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However, Singh was admitted to the IGMC hours after reaching home as he complained of cardiac and breathing problems. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital since.

Nine-time MLA and five-time MP, Singh was Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for six terms.

In January, Virbhadra Singh had announced his exit from electoral politics. Talking to the media at Kunihar in Solan district, Singh said that he would not contest any election in the future.

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The six-time chief minister said: “I am a Congressi and will remain Congressi till my death.” 

Popularly known as ‘Raja Sahib’ in Himachal Pradesh, Singh was the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state. He first served in the office from 1983 to 1990. He was then elected for the terms1993 to 1998 and 2003 to 2007. After holding the Chief Minister’s office from 2012 to 2017, Singh was replaced by BJP’s Jai Ram Thakur in December 2017.