8-Time MLA Samajwadi Party Veteran Ram Govind Chaudhary Dies At 73

Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, former Uttar Pradesh minister and a former eight-time MLA, Ram Govind Chaudhary, passed away on Friday while undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow.

He was 73.

SP's media in-charge Sushil Pandey told PTI that Chaudhary, a former leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, breathed his last at 9 pm.

Chaudhary was suffering from heart and kidney-related ailments for a long time. He had previously undergone a heart surgery at the Medanta Hospital in Lucknow. He also underwent prolonged treatment and dialysis at Lucknow's Max Hospital. He was admitted to the SGPGI two weeks ago, Pandey said.

Expressing grief over Chaudhary's demise, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The passing away of Ram Govind Chaudharyji, former leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and a former minister, is deeply saddening."

"Humble tributes. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and give the bereaved family the strength to bear this immense grief. Om Shanti," Adityanath said in a post in Hindi on X.

Condoling the death of the veteran leader, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post in Hindi on X, said, "The passing of senior Samajwadi Party leader and former leader of opposition Shri Ram Govind Chaudharyji is deeply saddening! May god grant peace to his soul. May the bereaved family find the strength to bear this immense grief."

Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana also expressed grief over Chaudhary's death.

In his condolence message, Mahana said, "The news of Ram Govind Chaudhary's passing is deeply saddening and painful. With his demise, the state has lost an experienced politician and a dedicated public representative. His contributions to public life will always be remembered."

Throughout his journey -- from his student days marked by his commitment to socialism -- Chaudhary learned to raise his voice against injustice and dedicated his life to championing the cause of the weaker and marginalised sections of the society.

Born on July 9, 1953, in a backward village in the Sikandarpur area of Ballia district, Chaudhary was the eldest of three brothers.

He is survived by his son and a large, close-knit family.

After completing his primary education at the village school and his subsequent schooling in Sikandarpur, he enrolled as a BSc student in the Satish Chandra College in Ballia. Alongside studies, he became deeply concerned about student issues and actively participated in movements advocating for student rights and the resolution of their grievances.

His activism led to his expulsion from the college. However, this setback did not deter him. He subsequently enrolled in the Shri Murli Manohar Town Post-Graduate College, Ballia, marking his entry into student politics.

In 1972, he was elected the general secretary of the Town College Students' Union and in 1974, he was elected its president.

During Emergency, Chaudhary chose the path of struggle to defend democratic rights and served as the co-convener of the district's "Chhatra Yuva Vahini".

Chaudhary, who had worked with Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan -- the architect of "Sampoorna Kranti" -- remained a close associate of former prime minister Chandra Shekhar.

He held the leader of opposition's post in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from March 2017 to March 2022.

He also held separate ministerial portfolios twice under the then chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav (from December 1990 to June 1991 and from October 2003 to May 2007) and once under Akhilesh Yadav (from 2012 to 2017), according to the Assembly website.

Chaudhary was prisoned during Emergency and was lodged in the Ballia and Barabanki jails. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)