Former Lok Sabha Speaker Bali Ram Bhagat dies

NEW DELHI: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Bali Ram Bhagat died early this morning at a hospital here.

He was 89. Bhagat is survived by his wife Vidhya Bhagat, a son and a daughter.

He breathed his last at 2.30 AM at Apollo hospital where he was receiving treatment for kidney and lever ailments.

A veteran Parliamentarian with vast administrative experience, Bhagat was elected Speaker of the fifth Lok Sabha on January 5, 1976 when the country was under Emergency. He remained in the post for a year.

Born on 7 October, 1922 in Mahandi Ganj area of Patna city, he did his graduation from Patna College and later obtained a Masters Degree in Economics from Patna University.

He was also the Governor of Himachal Pradesh briefly in 1993 and Governor of Rajasthan from 1993 to 1998.

For a short spell, he was the Minister of External Affairs in Rajiv Gandhi's Government in 1985-86.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were among leaders who expressed grief over Bhagat's demise.