Lucknow, Oct 18 (PTI) Former Uttar Pradesh Assembly speaker and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Sukhdev Rajbhar died here on Monday following a prolonged illness.

Rajbhar, 70, was the speaker of the UP Assembly in the BSP government between 2007 and 2012.

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He was an MLA from Didarganj constituency in Azamgarh.

Condoling his death, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Rajbhar always raised issues related to the poor and backward classes.

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Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Assembly Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit also mourned the demise of Rajbhar.

"Former speaker of UP Vidhan Sabha Sukhdev Rajbhar's death is an irreparable loss. My condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. Your political life dedicated to social justice will always inspire others," Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

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