New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner and Union Minister of State Manohar Singh Gill passed away on Sunday. He was 86. Gill is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Taking to X, former CEC SY Quraishi posted, “Sorry to know that Dr MS Gill, former CEC left for his heavenly abode at 4 pm today. May his soul rest in peace.”
According to reports, he was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi where he breathed his last. His last rites will be performed in Delhi on Monday.
Born in Aladdinpur village of Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, Gill served as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1958 till his retirement as the Chief Election Commissioner of India in 2001.
Later, he joined the Congress party and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2004. Under the Congress government, Gill held the posts of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
He authored a book titled ‘An Indian Success Story: Agriculture and Cooperatives’. MS Gill also served as the Agriculture Secretary of Punjab in the 1980s.
According to a former government functionary, MS Gill and GVG Krishnamurty were made members of the ECI when TN Seshan was heading the poll panel. It was then that the Election Commission became a multi-member body.
Expressing condolence over Gill’s demise, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X, “Extremely saddened at the passing away of former Union minister, Padma Vibhushan, Shri Manohar Singh Gill ji. As a valued colleague in the UPA govt and earlier as a civil servant, his contributions to the development of the nation in varied fields like sports, electoral processes and agriculture were long lasting.”