Patiala: Veteran Congress leader and former Punjab Minister Lal Singh passed away on Saturday. Known as the "Bhishma Pitamah" of the Punjab Congress, the 84-year-old leader breathed his last at a private hospital in Mohali. Congress leader and former Punjab finance minister Lal Singh passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Saturday. (HT file photo) (HT_PRINT)
According to family sources, he complained of breathing difficulties earlier this afternoon at his Chandigarh residence. He was rushed to the hospital in Mohali, where he breathed his last.
Lal Singh's political career spanned nearly five decades.
In the 1990s, he emerged as a powerful and influential minister in the cabinet of the then chief minister Beant Singh, playing a central role in state governance during a transformative period.
He later served as finance minister under the Congress government headed by Amarinder Singh (2002-07). Singh, who also remained a six-term MLA, also served as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
First elected in 1977 from Dakala, he represented the constituency five times and later won from Sanour in 2012. He is survived by his son, Kaka Rajinder Singh, and daughter, Rupinder Kaur.
His son and former Samana MLA, Kaka Rajinder Singh, accompanied his father's mortal remains as they were brought to Patiala.
Speaking to PTI over the phone, Kaka Rajinder Singh shared that while the family is in deep mourning, they will consult with relatives and well-wishers before finalising the time and location for the last rites.