Former Congress MLA Akhilesh Singh, father of Congress MLA Aditi Singh from Rae Bareli (Sadar), passed away on Tuesday morning at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS). His last rites will be performed at his ancestral home in the Lalupur village of Rae Bareli.
Akhilesh Singh was suffering from cancer for a long time. He was also being treated in Singapore. He came to Lucknow-based PGI for routine check-up, where his health deteriorated and he breathed his last in the early hours of Tuesday.
Singh was known as "Robin Hood of Rae Bareli" for his bold statements. He was elected from Rae Bareli (Sadar) on a Congress ticket once, Peace Party ticket once and as an independent candidate several times. A five-term legislator, he had been battling cancer since the past few years. His daughter, Aditi Singh, now represents Congress from the Sadar seat.
Though he was known for his criminal antecedents with several FIRs registered against him, yet in his constituency , he was like the proverbial 'Robinhood'. The lawmaker was often hailed with slogans like "Akhilesh Singh ki baat par, mohar lagegi haath par" during election campaigning. His popularity with the Rae Bareli demography was evident even as he distanced himself from the Congress.
