Congress veteran and six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh passed away early Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH).
He lost his life after a three-month-long battle with post-Covid complications, doctors said.
He was 87.
IGMCH Senior Medical Superintendent Janak Raj said that Virbhadra Singh breathed his last at 3.40 a.m.
Me Singh was the sitting legislator from Arki in Solan district, once the pocket borough of the BJP.
He had twice recovered from Covid-19 and on July 5 was shifted to CCU of the IGMCH after suffering a heart attack. Later, he was put on a ventilator after he had complained of a breathing problem.
His cremation is likely to take place at his native place Rampur.
Popularly known as 'Raja Saab' as he was born heir into the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, Virbhadra Singh was in active politics for over 50 years.
In the last decade of his political career, he was a regular target of the top BJP leadership, who pointed to his being out on bail and facing corruption charges during the time he was the Union Steel Minister 2009-11.
In every election -- be it the Assembly or the parliamentary -- Virbhadra Singh single-handedly campaigned and conducted 15 to 20 meetings every day.
Political observers believe that his death will leave a huge vacuum in the Congress party.
Singh has been a nine-time legislator and five-time MP.
In 2017, which was his last assembly election Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh won in their constituencies, even as their party Congress had failed.