Lucknow: Samajwadi Party MLA from Sonbhadra’s Dudhi constituency, Vijay Singh Gond, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71 at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. He had been unwell for nearly a year and was undergoing treatment for kidney failure.
Family sources said both his kidneys had failed and he had been admitted to SGPGI for the past two months. Doctors said he was undergoing daily dialysis, but his condition did not improve. He breathed his last on Thursday.
As news of his death spread, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav reached SGPGI to pay his respects. Expressing grief, Yadav said Gond had devoted his political life to the service of tribal communities.
“Today, Vijay Gond is no longer among us. He always worked for the welfare of tribals and that is why people repeatedly gave him the opportunity to serve them,” Yadav said.
Senior SP leader Avadh Narayan Yadav said the last rites will be performed on Friday at Kanhar Ghat in Dudhi. Before the cremation, Gond’s body will be kept at Gondwana Bhawan in the DCF Colony for the public to pay their last respects.
Vijay Singh Gond was an eight-time MLA from the Dudhi assembly seat and had also served as a minister of state during the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. He was regarded as one of the most prominent tribal leaders from the Sonbhadra region.
Gond entered politics under the guidance of Congress leader Rampyare Panika, who mentored him in his early years. In a significant political moment, Gond later went on to defeat his own mentor, a victory that was seen as a turning point in his career and a major development in regional tribal politics.
According to party sources, Gond had been hospitalised at SGPGI for the past two months, with doctors closely monitoring his condition. Despite continuous treatment and dialysis, his health continued to deteriorate.
After his death, arrangements were made to send his mortal remains from SGPGI to Dudhi on Thursday afternoon. They are expected to reach Sonbhadra late at night.
Leaders from various political parties expressed condolences, remembering Vijay Singh Gond as a grounded leader who remained closely connected to the people of the region throughout his long political career.
