Former Bihar minister Ramashray Prasad Singh dies

Former Bihar minister and senior JD(U) leader Ramashray Prasad Singh died of age related illness at a private hospital in New Delhi, family sources said.

Singh, aged over 90, was a member of Bihar Legislative Council and the deputy leader of the party in the upper house of the Assembly.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, expressing profound grief over the death of the leader, announced state mourning tomorrow in respect of Singh. Singh was Parliamentary Affairs minister in previous state government led by Kumar.

Kumar said he was a "very friendly" person and had a clean image in state politics spanning over five decades.

State Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Chaudhury and Bihar JD-U president Basisht Narayan Singh also mourned the death of Singh, one of the senior most leaders of Bihar.

He is survived by wife, one son and one daughter.

Singh was born in a village in Jehanabad district in 1930.

He became an MLC for the first time in 1962 and MLA from Kurtha constituency in Jehanabad district of Bihar in 1972.

Singh was previously in Congress and switched over to JD(U) on the eve of 2005 Assembly election.