Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former UP minister Ram Govind Chaudhary, who had been unwell for sometime, passed away while undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences here on Friday. He was 73.
Expressing his grief while sharing the news on X, SP president Akhilesh Yadav wrote: “The passing of senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Leader of the Opposition, Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary ji, is deeply saddening! May God grant peace to his soul. May the bereaved family find the strength to bear this immense grief. Heartfelt tributes.”
An eight-time MLA, Chaudhary was born in Ballia’s Gosaipur village. An advocate by profession who studied at the Gorakhpur University and the University of Lucknow, Chaudhary began his political career during his student days under the tutelage of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and was also associated with former PM Chandra Shekhar.
He later became a close associate of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Chaudhary was first elected an MLA from Ballia’s Chilkahar seat in 1977. Later, he also represented Ballia’s Bansdih seat in the UP assembly.
Chaudhary served as a minister in the SP governments under both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. From 2017 to 2022, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the UP legislative assembly.
{{/usCountry}}Chaudhary served as a minister in the SP governments under both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. From 2017 to 2022, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the UP legislative assembly.
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