PM Narendra Modi, CM Nitish Kumar pay rich tribute to Lok Sabha MP Bhola Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and senior politicians paid rich tribute to senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Bhola Singh, who died following a brief illness in Delhi on Friday. He was 82.

PM Modi expressed anguish over Singh's demise and said, "He will be remembered for his outstanding service to society and efforts towards the development of Bihar. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief."

Singh represented the Begusarai, his birthplace. Earlier he had been elected from Nawada constituency as a BJP candidate in 2009. He represented Begusarai in the Bihar assembly eight times and was also a part of the Communist Party of India and Congress during the initial years of his political career.

On Saturday, Singh's body was brought to Bihar Vidhan Sabha, from where he started his political career in 1967 and served as its deputy speaker in for a few years. "Singh was a very senior leader who had served as a minister in the state government and we had the opportunity to work as cabinet colleagues. He was very active and used to put forth his view point very clearly," Nitish said.

The CM extended his condolence to Singh's family members, which include his wife, three sons and two daughters, and said, "His works and contributions will be remembered by the coming generations and he will be an inspiration to many." Union ministers Ashwini Choubey and Ram Kripal Yadav, Bihar Vidhan Sabha speaker Vijay Choudhary, state minister and senior leaders of all political parties paid their respect to Singh at the Vidhan Sabha.

Senior BJP leaders remembered him as a "skilled social worker and litterateur" who could weave "magic with words". "He was not only a good orator but had good knowledge of the Constitution and had faith in parliamentary culture and traditions. Throughout his life, as an MLA and later an MP, he was committed towards the development of his constituency," said deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi, while expressing grief at Singh's demise.

Singh, who was often in news for his controversial comments, was a Ph.D and had completed his education from Patna University and Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga. Prior to joining politics, he was a professor, a source said.

Seasoned Neta

Before becoming a Lok Sabha MP, Bhola Singh was an 8-term MLA from Bihar. He was associated with the CPI (M) and the Congress during the initial years of his political career