Sitapur/Lucknow (UP), Dec 10 (PTI) Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Ram Lal Rahi died at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district on Thursday. He was 86.

Rahi was admitted to the district hospital after complaining of chest pain and breathing difficulty. Later, his coronavirus report came positive and he was shifted to an L2 facility. He breathed his last around 4.30 pm following a heart attack, Chief Medical Superintendent A K Agarwal said.

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In his long political career, Rahi was elected four times from the Misrikh Lok Sabha seat and twice from the Hargaon seat, where the incumbent BJP MLA is his son Suresh Rahi. He served as the minister of state for Home Affairs in the Narsimha Rao government in the nineties.

In a statement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the death, saying Rahi was an experienced leader who had given his services for a long.

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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Rahi's political life was a source of inspiration for all. He gave his services as people's representative and also as a strong organisational man with full dedication, according to a party statement.

Congress state president Ajay Kumar Lallu recalled the Rahi's contribution in the fight for the rights of the poor, deprived and the Dalits, adding that his demise was an irreparable loss for the party.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)