letterschd@hindustantimes.com
Former Haryana minister Mange Ram Gupta died at his residence in Jind on Friday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 85.
His family members said Gupta was brought back to his home on Thursday night after treatment at a private hospital in Chandigarh.
Ahead of 2019 Haryana assembly polls, Gupta along with his son Mahavir Gupta, had joined the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). Mahavir contested the polls from Jimd constituency, but he lost to BJP’s Krishan Middha.
A senior leader with substantial votebank of Bania community, Gupta contested the assembly elections for the first time as an independent nominee from Jind constituency in 1977 and won by over 15, 000 votes. He was elected as an MLA from the same seat on Congress ticket in 1991, 2000 and 2005.
Gupta had served as finance minister during the Bhajan Lal government in 1991 and education and transport minister in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government.
His was cremated in Jind in the afternoon. His last rites were attended by deputy chief minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, among others.
Dushyant said his party has suffered great loss due to Gupta’s death.
{{/usCountry}}Dushyant said his party has suffered great loss due to Gupta’s death.
{{/usCountry}}Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also expressed grief over the former minister’s demise.
In a condolence message, Khattar said that Gupta was a leader of masses and the void created by his death cannot be filled. He had a special contribution in social service, he added.
The chief minister and deputy chief minister expressed condolences to the bereaved family members and prayed to the almighty that the departed soul might rest in peace.