Veteran Congress leader and former Punjab minister Lal Singh died on Saturday. Widely regarded as the "Bhishma Pitamah" of the Punjab Congress, the 84-year-old leader passed away at a private hospital in Mohali.
Family sources said he experienced breathing problems earlier this afternoon at his residence in Chandigarh. He was taken urgently to a hospital in Mohali, where he passed away.
Lal Singh's political journey extended for almost fifty years. During the 1990s, he rose to prominence as a powerful and influential minister in the cabinet of then Chief Minister Beant Singh, taking on a key role in steering state governance through a period of significant change.
He subsequently held the position of finance minister in the Congress government led by Amarinder Singh from 2002 to 2007. Singh, a six-time MLA, also served as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
First elected from Dakala in 1977, he went on to represent the constituency five times before securing a victory from Sanour in 2012. He is survived by his son, Kaka Rajinder Singh, and his daughter, Rupinder Kaur.
His son, former Samana MLA Kaka Rajinder Singh, accompanied his father’s body when it was transported to Patiala.
In a phone conversation with PTI, Kaka Rajinder Singh said that although the family is grieving deeply, they will first consult relatives and well-wishers before deciding on the time and place for the final rites.