Trinamool Congress's Bengal MP Kirti Azad bid adieu to his wife Poonam as he conducted her last rites at the Damodar Valley cremation ground in Durgapur on Monday, September 2. She passed away at 12.40 PM on Monday at the age of 59. Poonam Jha Azad had been suffering from a long-standing ailment. She was even seen in a wheelchair by Kirti Azad during his 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaigns.
Poonam Azad was also a politician, who first joined the BJP, then the Aam Aadmi Party and later, the Congress. Taking to X, Kirti Azad announced the death of his wife on Monday. "My wife, Poonam no more. Left for her heavenly aboard at 12:40 PM," he said. On Tuesday, Kirti Azad posted a photo of the last rites captioned: "Alvida Poonam..."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her condolence to Azad and his two sons. She said: "I have known Poonam for a long time. I also knew that she was critically ill for the last few years. Kirti & other family members tried their best & were always beside her in her last fight. My sincere condolences to Kirti & other family members. May her soul rest in peace."
Kirti Azad won the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat against BJP heavyweight Dilip Ghosh earlier this year. Kirti Azad, who was a member of the 1983 Cricket World Cup winning team, too, started his political career with the BJP. He moved to the Congress in 2019 and then the Trinamool Congress in 2022.