Sharad Yadav’s last rites to be performed at his ancestral village in MP

Bhopal, Jan 13 (IANS) The last rites of veteran socialist leader and former Union Minister Sharad Yadav will be performed at his ancestral village Ankhmau in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district on Saturday.

Sources told IANS that mortal remains of former Janata Dal(U) president Yadav (75) will be brought to his ancestral village called Ankhmau in Narmadapuram district, around 6 km from state capital Bhopal. (Last year, Hoshangabad district was renamed as Narmadapuram). The last rites will be performed around 3 p.m.

Born in a middle class family on July 1, 1947, Yadav had completed his degree in civil engineering from Jabalpur in 1974, and had chosen his career in politics during his college days.

After starting out as a student leader, Yadav’s Lok Sabha by-election victory from Jabalpur in 1974 as opposition candidate against the Congress catapulted him into national politics.

Political leaders from across the party lines condoled the demise of Yadav, and a large number of people and politicians are expected to visit Ankhmau village to pay homage to the departed soul.

Expressing his condolence, senior advocate and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said Yadav’s demise is a big loss for Mahakaushal division. Jabalpur district, where Yadav won his first general elections, falls under Mahakaushal division in Madhya Pradesh.

“Mahakaushal has suffered a great loss due to the demise of Sharad Yadav. In the 70s, Sharad ji started the political transformation of Jabalpur and the country by providing leadership to the youth. Later, even though Jabalpur did not support him, Sharad ji always fought for it. Be it the facility of air services or the establishment of Qutub Express for Delhi, the railway zone has always been in the interest of Jabalpur. Jabalpur and Mahakaushal have lost their well-wisher and advocate,” Tankha tweeted on Friday.

In his long political career, Yadav won Lok Sabha election seven times and was Rajya Sabha MP four times. Besides Jabalpur, he also won Lok Sabha polls from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh and Madhepura in Bihar, which was a rare achievement for any politician.

Madhya Pradesh Congress head and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath recalled Yadav saying the former Union Minister was his companion in public life. “Sharad Yadavji’s demise is an irreparable loss in the fight for social justice… I deeply condole his demise. May God give his soul a place in his holy feet and give strength to his family members to bear this loss,” Nath said.

State BJP president and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma tweeted, “Received the sad news of the demise of senior socialist leader, former JD(U) President, former Union Minister Sharad Yadav. He worked for the interests of the weaker sections throughout his life…RIP.”

The leader had breathed his last at a hospital in Gurugram on Thursday night.

–IANS

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