Bihar minister dies of post-COVID complications

Bihar minister for backward and extremely backward class welfare Vinod Kumar Singh died on Monday at a hospital in Delhi due to post-COVID 19 complications, family sources said. He was 55.

He is survived by wife Nisha and two daughters. Singh, a BJP MLA from Pranpur constituency in Katihar district, had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 28 and subsequently recovered.

Shortly after, however, he suffered a brain haemorrhage and had to be airlifted to a private hospital in Delhi, where he breathed his last.Mourning the demise of Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that he would be cremated with full state honours.

"He was an efficient administrator and a popular leader. I am personally pained by Singh's untimely demise. His death has caused an irreparable loss to the states political spectrum and the society," Kumar said.

Among others, Bihar Legislative Council acting chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh, Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, agriculture minister Prem Kumar, information and public relations minister Neeraj Kumar mourned Singh's demise.

Sources in the BJP said the party is likely to field Nisha Singh from Pranpur constituency, which is set to go to polls along with 77 other seats during the third phase of assembly elections, on November 7.