ND Tiwari, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, died at Delhi's Max Hospital
Highlights
- ND Tiwari was admitted to the hospital since October last year
- ND Tiwari was suffering from fever and pneumonia
- He had been the chief minister of both Uttarakhand and UP
Veteran politician ND Tiwari, who suffered multiple organ failure in July, has died at a hospital in Delhi. It was Mr Tiwari's 93rd birthday today.
"Mr Tiwari was admitted at the Max Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi and died at 2.50 pm," the doctors said.
ND Tiwari, a Congress veteran, had been in hospital for over a year. A team of doctors was monitoring his condition round the clock.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of various parties expressed grief over his death. "Saddened by the passing away of Shri ND Tiwari Ji. A towering leader, he was known for his administrative skills. He will be remembered for his efforts towards industrial growth & working for the progress of UP & Uttarakhand, a state he steered in its initial days," the Prime Minister tweeted.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tweeted to say that ND Tiwari's contribution to Uttarakhand can never be forgotten. Mr Tiwari served as Uttarakhand chief minister from 2002 to 2007.
"He played a key role in giving pace to the financial and industrial development of the newly formed Uttarakhand, and helped the state to stand up on its feet," Mr Rawat tweeted.
A three-day state mourning has been announced in Uttarakhand.
ND Tiwari had been admitted to the Max Hospital since September last year, after suffering a brain stroke.
In July, when ND Tiwari was shifted to the ICU after multiple organ failure, his condition was described by hospital sources as "very serious".
A former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr Tiwari was also Chief Minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh - before Uttarakhand was carved out of the state - thrice. Mr Tiwari had been the Governor of Andhra Pradesh for two years when he resigned in 2009 amid severe embarrassment for the Congress after allegations of a sex scandal at the Raj Bhawan or Governor's house. 86 then, Mr Tiwari had cited poor health as the reason for his quitting.
A political heavyweight once, Mr Tiwari was even considered a potential candidate to be Prime Minister in the early 1990s. He quit the Congress in 1994 and launched his own party the Congress (Tiwari) along with another prominent Congressman Arjun Singh, but they later returned when Sonia Gandhi took over as Congress president.
With inputs from PTI