Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 29 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday mourned the demise of former minister Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, who passed away at his native village Tiara in Kangra district.
He was 87.
Expressing condolences, CM Sukhu said Major Vijay Singh Mankotia made significant contributions towards the development of Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the Shahpur Assembly constituency of Kangra district.
He said that Mankotia’s efforts towards the welfare of society would be remembered by the people for a long time.
The Chief Minister prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear the irreparable loss.
Major Vijay Singh Mankotia was elected to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in 1982, 1985, 1990, 1993 and 2003.
He served as the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Law in the state government from 1995 to 1998 and again from March 2003 to July 2004.
In 1985, Singh joined the Congress under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and won from Shahpur. In 1989–90, he parted ways with the Congress to join VP Singh's Jan Morcha/Janata Dal and secured a victory from Shahpur in 1990.
There was also a time when he became the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2007, though he was unsuccessful in that election.
He will also be remembered for his relationship with former Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He became a minister for the first time in 1993 under Singh's government, and Singh was also the Chief Minister when Mankotia won his last election in 2003.
Due to persistent political friction with Singh, he left Congress multiple times, though he returned to the party on each occasion. He rejoined the Congress ahead of the 2012 elections but faced defeat.
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of former MLA and minister Major Vijay Singh Mankotia.
In a post on X, Thakur said the news of Mankotia’s demise was "extremely heartbreaking" and remembered him as a five-time MLA from the Shahpur Assembly constituency.
शाहपुर विधानसभा क्षेत्र से पांच बार विधायक एवं पूर्व मंत्री मेजर विजय सिंह मनकोटिया जी के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुःखद है।
ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें और शोकाकुल परिजनों एवं समर्थकों को इस अपार दुःख को सहन करने की शक्ति प्रदान करें।
ॐ शांति! pic.twitter.com/fNVy1FvW6Y
"The news of the demise of former MLA and ex-Minister Major Vijay Singh Mankotia ji, who was elected MLA five times from the Shahpur Assembly constituency, is extremely heartbreaking," Thakur said.
He prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family and supporters to bear the loss.
"May God grant a place at His holy feet to the departed soul and bestow strength upon the grieving family and supporters to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti!" he added. (ANI)
