New Delhi: Veteran politician and former Uttarakhand chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari – who was admitted in a private hospital in Delhi – passed away on Thursday. The 92-year-old senior Congress leader was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Max hospital in Delhi last week after his health deteriorated due to multiple organ failure. Tiwari was in a very serious condition at the time he was shifted to the hospital in the national capital. “ND Tiwari ji's condition is extremely serious and many of his organs have now stopped working. It was Tiwari’s 93rd birthday today. More than medicines, he now needs blessings," said the Trivendra Rawat, the incumbent chief minister of Uttarakhand who was also present at the hospital when he Tiwari was admitted.


Expressing his solidarity, Rawat today took to Twitter and said, “Tiwari-ji's contribution to Uttarakhand can never be forgotten. He played a key role in giving pace to the financial and industrial development of the newly formed Uttarakhand, and helped the state to stand up on its feet.”

Reportedly, Tiwari’s condition was earlier put on dialysis due to failure of his kidneys and was given antibiotics and antifungal medicines to fight infection in his stomach. Tiwari's doctor informed that he was suffering from acute bacterial infection in stomach region and his kidneys stopped functioning on Saturday.

Tiwari was one of the most prominent leaders of his time and has achieved several milestones in his political stint. Here are five interesting facts about the Congress leader who died on his 93rd birthday today:

1. Born on October 18, 1925 in Baluti district of Uttarakhand, Tiwari's interest into politics came during the Indian Independence movement. He was arrested for writing Anti-British leaflets opposing imperialist policies.

2. In 1963, Tiwari associated with the Indian National Congress party and was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Kashipur constituency in 1965. He was later appointed a minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

3. ND Tiwari became the External Affairs Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet from October 22, 1986 till July 25, 1987. He remains the only politician to be elected Chief Minister in two Indian states (Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand). He served as the CM of UP three times.

4. Apart from being the Chief Minister and Minister of External Affairs, Tiwari has held several other portfolios in Congress government throughout his career. He remains the only Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to have completed his five-year-tenure in office.

5. Tiwari’s last position was his appointment as Governor of Andhra Pradesh on 22 August. However, following some controversy he resigned from the post in December 2009.