Satyadev Katare, Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly, no more; Sonia condoles

Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Satyadev Katare passed away at a Mumbai hospital today.

By PTI

Updated: Thursday, October 20, 2016, 21:35 [IST]

Bhopal, Oct 20: Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Satyadev Katare passed away at a Mumbai hospital today, family sources said. Born on February 15, 1955, Katare (61), a senior Congress leader, is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

He was suffering from lung cancer and undergoing treatment at the Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai since April 18, Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said. Katare had remained absent from the House due to his illness.

Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly dies

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has condoled the demise today of Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Satyadev Katare.

Congress had nominated senior party MLA and former minister Bala Bachchan as the acting Leader of Opposition. He was elected from Ater assembly constituency in Bhind district.

Katare started his political career from a remote village called Manepura in Bhind district and was awarded the title of 'Best Youth Coordinator' for his dedication and work in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.

He was appointed as General Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress in 1985 and discharged his duties till 1990. In 1995, he was adjudged the Best Minister in Madhya Pradesh.

Impressed by his work for the party, late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave him an Assembly ticket from Ater. He won the seat in February 1985. He served as the Minister of State of Home and also as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the then chief minister Digvijay Singh's Cabinet.

Katare was awarded as the Best MLA in 2008 by former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. His mortal remains will be consigned to flames day after tomorrow at 10 AM in Manepura, Bhind.

Expressing grief, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan termed Katare's demise as painful. "I pray to the God to give strength to the bereaved to cope up with the irreparable loss," he tweeted.

PTI