SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary passes away, Akhilesh Yadav pays tribute

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and eight-term MLA Ram Govind Chaudhary passed away at 73. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and other leaders across party lines mourned the demise of the former UP Leader of the Opposition.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday paid tribute to senior party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary, who passed away on Friday night while undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow. He was 73.

In a post shared on X, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The demise of Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary ji, senior leader of the Samajwadi Party and former Leader of the Opposition, is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to his soul. May the bereaved family find the strength to endure this immense sorrow. Heartfelt tribute!"

Political Leaders Pay Tribute

Akhilesh Yadav also paid his last respects to Chaudhary, who passed away in Lucknow on Friday. BJP minister Daya Shankar Singh also paid his last respects to Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed grief over the demise of the former Leader of the Opposition and former minister. "The passing away of Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary Ji, former Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and former Minister, is extremely heartbreaking. Humble tribute. I pray to Lord Shri Ram that the departed soul attains eternal peace and the bereaved family members are granted the strength to endure this immense sorrow. Om Shanti," CM Yogi posted on X.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also paid tribute to Chaudhary, saying, "The news of the demise of Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary ji, former Leader of the Opposition and former Minister of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, is extremely heartbreaking. I pray to Lord Shri Ram ji that he grant a place at his divine feet to the departed soul and bestow strength upon the bereaved family to endure this boundless sorrow. Om Shanti!"

SP MP Dimple Yadav also expressed condolences over the demise of the veteran party leader. "The demise of Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary Ji, senior leader of the Samajwadi Party and former Leader of the Opposition, is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to his soul. May the bereaved family find the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Heartfelt tribute!" she said in a post on X.

A Veteran Socialist Leader

Chaudhary, a veteran socialist leader, had been unwell for some time and breathed his last while undergoing treatment at SGPGIMS in Lucknow on Friday. Born on July 9, 1953, in Gosaipur, Ballia, Chaudhary was regarded as one of the prominent leaders of the socialist movement and a link between the Samajwadi Party and the traditions of leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.

Illustrious Political Career

He served as a Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for eight terms. From 1977 to 1992, he represented the Chilkahar constituency in Ballia, and later represented the Bansdih Assembly seat from 2002 as a Samajwadi Party MLA.

Chaudhary served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2022. He had also held ministerial portfolios, including Horticulture and Food Processing in the Mulayam Singh Yadav government and Basic Education and Child Development and Nutrition in the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments. (ANI)

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