ND Tiwari, Former UP and Uttarakhand CM, Dies on His 93rd Birthday

New Delhi: Former Congress leader and chief minister of UP and Uttarakhand ND Tiwari passed away at the Max Hospital in Saket after prolonged illness on Thursday. He was 93.

Doctors said he was suffering from fever and pneumonia and died at 2.50 pm on Thursday.

The senior Congress leader was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket on September 20 last year after suffering a brain stroke.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over Tiwari’s demise and called him a 'towering leader'.

"Saddened by the passing away of Shri ND Tiwari Ji. A towering leader, he was known for his administrative skills. He will be remembered for his efforts towards industrial growth & working for the progress of UP & Uttarakhand, a state he steered in its initial days. My condolences," PM Modi tweeted.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh hailed Tiwari's efforts in the development of the state and said his contribution could not be forgotten. "Tiwari-ji's contribution to Uttarakhand can never be forgotten. He played a key role in giving pace to the financial and industrial development of the newly formed Uttarakhand, and helped the state to stand up on its feet," Chief Minister Trivendra Singh tweeted.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also condoled the death of the party veteran.

"My deepest condolences on the passing away of veteran Congress leader, Former Union Minister, Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand, Shri N D Tiwari ji," he tweeted.

Tiwari formed Congress (T), the breakaway faction of the Congress, along with veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh in 1995 during the tenure of the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao. However, he later merged his party with the Congress when Sonia Gandhi took charge of the party.

He was one of the most prominent leaders of congress holding many important portfolios throughout his career.

He is the only politician to be elected Chief Minister in two Indian states. He was a three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was also the Uttarakhand chief minister from 2002-2007 and the only politician to complete his five-year-tenure in office in the state. From 2007 until 2009, he served as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, but was forced to resign following a sex scandal.

ND Tiwari was a freedom fighter before joining the Congress and became the Minister of External Affairs in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet. He had joined the BJP in January last year ahead of Assembly elections in Uttarakhand.

Tiwari was born on October 18, 1925 in Nainital and held a law degree from Allahabad University.

He is survived by his wife Ujjwala Sharma and son Rohit Shekhar.