New Delhi. Former Chief Election Commissioner Manohar Singh Gill died in a hospital in South Delhi on Sunday. He was ill for some time. People close to him gave this information. Gill was 86 years old. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. People close to him said that Gill’s last rites will be performed here on Monday. Gill, a former bureaucrat, had worked as a young officer under Parkash Singh Badal when the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch was the chief minister of Punjab. Gill was the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) between December 1996 and June 2001.
A former government official said that when T.N. When Seshan was the head of the Election Commission, Gill and GVG Krishnamurthy were made members of the Election Commission. The official said that at the same time (when Seshan was the Chief Election Commissioner), the Election Commission was made a three-member body. He was probably the first former CEC to enter politics. Gill reached Rajya Sabha as a Congress member and was made the Union Sports Minister in 2008.
The Election Commission in a statement said it deeply condoles the demise of Gill, its 11th Chief Election Commissioner, and described him as ‘a brilliant officer of the 1958 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, Punjab cadre’. The Commission said, “During his tenure as CEC, the Election Commission of India conducted general elections to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and 13th Lok Sabha in 1999, the 11th Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in 1997 and general elections to the Legislative Assemblies in more than 20 states. “Elections were successfully conducted.”
The Commission said, “His leadership and commitment to the electoral process will continue to inspire us at the Election Commission of India. Gill was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in the year 2000 for his exceptional and distinguished services as a civil servant. We pray for the departed soul and express our deepest condolences.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed grief over Gill’s demise and praised his contribution to the development of the country. “Deeply saddened by the demise of former Union Minister, Padma Vibhushan Manohar Singh Gill ji,” Kharge said in a post on social media platform ‘X’. He said, “As a valued colleague in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and before that as a public servant, his contribution to the development of the nation in various fields such as sports, electoral processes and agriculture will be long remembered. Will go.”
Kharge also expressed his ‘deepest condolences’ to the family, friends and supporters of the former Union Minister. He said, “I pray to God for the peace of his soul.” Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also expressed grief over Gill’s demise. He said in a post on ‘X’, “Saddened to hear about the demise of former Chief Election Commissioner and Union Minister Dr. Manohar Singh Gill. My condolences are with his family and I pray to Waheguru ji for the peace of the departed soul.”
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Tags: Central Election Commission, Congress, Election commission, Mallikarjun kharge
FIRST PUBLISHED : October 15, 2023, 11:02 PM IST
