Patna: The former speaker of the Council of Bihar and the leader of the Veteran Congress Sadanand Singh died here on Wednesday after a prolonged illness, said party sources.
He is 76 years old.
Singh exhaled his last breath at the hospital here where he had claimed more than a month.
Die-hard Congressman, Singh made his debut in 1972 won the Kahalgaon assembly segment which he visited as several times during his political career which lasted five decades.
The OBC leader in a party mostly associated with the top caste, he was chosen for the speaker seat by party leadership in 2000 when trying to rediscover himself by projecting a pro-backward image with RJD.
Then, he also served as the leader of the Congress legislative party in the state but gave up politics the election before the assembly poll last year when his chair went to his son Shubhanand Mukesh.
Party, however, lost seat to BJP.
Condolences have flowed from the entire political spectrum to Singh.
Those who have expressed sadness over their deaths including the head of Minister Nith Kumar, former Minister of Justice past Prasad and Jitan Ram Manjhi next to the opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav.