NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: Punjab former chief minister Surjit Singh Barnala, passed away on Saturday in Chandigarh at an age of 91.

Barnala who took over reins of the state when militancy was at its peak in the mid-80s died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh after he was admitted to the cardiac care unit on Thursday and later shifted to the respiratory ICU this morning, where he breathed his last.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh have expressed their condolences.

BARNALA’S POLITICAL JOURNEY

• Barnala served as Punjab's Chief Minister from 1985 to 1987. He became the CM after the Rajiv-Longowal accord to usher in peace in the troubled state was reached in the summer of 1985.
• Barnala was a candidate for the vice-presidency in 1997, but was defeated by Krishna Kant. He also served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Barnala was the Agriculture Minister in the Moraji Desai government and the Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet.

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