Former Bihar CM dies, state declares two days' mourning

Patna, Sep 4 (UNI) Former Bihar Chief Minister and veteran Congress parliamentarian Satyendra Narain Sinha died after a protracted illness at his residence here today.

He was 90 and is survived by his wife, son Nikhil Kumar, a Congress MP from Aurangabad and daughter-in-law Shyama Sinha, a former MP.

Sinha became the Chief Minister in 1989. Earlier, he was elected to Parliament in 1952, 1957, 1971, 1977 and 1984.

He had also served the state in the capacity of Minister in the cabinet of Vinodanand Jha in 1950 and also in the cabinet of K B Sahay.

Sinha had been critically ill for the past several days.

His mortal remains would be consigned to flames with full state honours at Bansghat here tomorrow.

Sinha's body has been kept at his residence in Boring Road and would be taken to the Assembly tomorrow morning and then to the Council.

The former Chief Minister's body would be kept at Congress headquarters Sadaquat Ashram and from there it would be taken to Bansghat for the last rites.

The Bihar government declared a public holiday today and two days of state mourning.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited Sinha's residence here and paid tributes to the departed leader. Mr Kumar said an era in politics had come to an end with the death of S N Sinha. ''Translating Mr Sinhas dreams for Bihar into reality would be the real tribute to him,'' the Chief Minister added.

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