Former Gonda MP and UP Minister Kunwar Anand Singh passes on 87; Leaves behind rich political heritage Bharat News

Kunwar Anand Singh, a former member of Gonda Parliament and the father of Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vidhan Singh, died on Sunday night at the age of 87.According to family sources stated by PTI, his health suddenly deteriorated at his house in Lucknow, and was rushed to a hospital where he breathed his last.Singh survived from his wife Veena Singh, three daughters, Niharika Singh, Radhika Singh and Shivani Rai, and son Kirti Vidhan Singh, who currently serve as MOS for abroad, forest and environment.Known as ‘Up Tiger’, Anand Singh has a significant impact in eastern Uttar Pradesh, especially in Gonda district. His political dominance was so strong that he was often assigned vacant enrollment forms by party leaders who trusted to select the winning candidates. A node from the Manakpur royal family was widely considered to secure local leadership positions such as MLA, District Panchayat Chairperson, or Block Head.Born on January 4, 1939, Anand Singh belonged to the earlier royal family of Manakpur. He was the son of King Raghavendra Pratap Singh, who was a former MLA of the Swatantra Party. After studying at the Colvin Talukeder College in Lucknow, Singh obtained a degree in agriculture from the Agricultural Institute in Allahabad (now prayer) and managed his family property.He entered politics after the death of his father and was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1964, 1967 and 1969. Later, on the advice of the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, he joined the Congress and won the Gonda Lok Sabha seat in 1971, 1980, 1984 and 1989.During the Ram Janmabhumi movement and again in 1996, Singh lost the seat of Gonda in the 1991 general elections, after which he stepped back from national politics. However, he returned in 2012 and won the seat of Gaura Assembly, serving as Agriculture Minister in the Samajwadi Party government. He later retired from active politics, reported PTI.Political leaders in party lines expressed grief over his death. In a post on X, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, “The revered father of Honorable Union Minister of State Shri Kirtivardhan Singh ji and former Minister of East Uttar Pradesh Government and former MP Mr. Anand Singh ji is very sad. Humble tribute.”Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also paid tribute, called the former MP “very unhappy”.