Virbhadra Singh, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, died on July 8. The 87-year-old Congress leader served six terms as chief minister, before announcing his exit from electoral politics in January this year.

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The Congress veteran had tested positive for COVID-19 twice between April and June. He was admitted to a hospital in Chandigarh after he tested positive for the first time. He returned home on April 30. However, Singh was re-admitted in hospital hours after reaching home as he complained of cardiac and breathing problems. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital since.

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Who was Virbhadra Singh?

A grassroots leader, Singh was nine-time MLA and five-time MP, Virbhadra Singh was Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for six terms. He represented the Arki assembly segment from the Solan district.

Born in the princely state of Bushahr, Virbhadra Singh completed his education at Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun, St. Edward’s School, Shimla and Bishop Cotton School, Shimla VBGSSS Arhal. He did a BA Honours degree from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.

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Singh was married twice. He and his first wife, Ratna Kumari, had a daughter, Abhilasha Kumari. Abhilasha served at the Gujarat High Court from 2006 to 2018. He married Pratibha Singh in 1986. She was elected to Lok Sabha from Mandi in 2004.

Virbhadra Singh was first elected to Lok Sabha in 1962. He was also a member of the Indian Delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1976. Singh served as the Deputy Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation in central cabinet between 1976 and 1977. He was the Minister of State for Industries between 1980 and 1983. Virbhadra Singh was made the Minister of Steel in 2009. He served the ministry until January 2011. He resigned from office in June 2012 after handling Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

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Known as ‘Raja Sahib’ in Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh entered state politics after he was elected in a by-election in October 1983. He was elected from the Rohru constituency in 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2003. He became the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh for the first time in 1983. After holding the Chief Minister’s office from 2012 to 2017, Singh was replaced by BJP’s Jai Ram Thakur in December 2017.