Lucknow, Jan 8 (UNI) Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator and prominent tribal leader Vijay Singh Gond, a seven-time MLA from the Duddhi Assembly constituency, passed away on Thursday at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) here. He was 71 and had been undergoing treatment for a prolonged illness.
According to SGPGI public relations officer Kusum Yadav, the cause of death was multi-organ failure.
News of his demise triggered a wave of grief across Sonbhadra district and adjoining regions.
Duddhi, Uttar Pradesh’s 403rd and final Assembly constituency, is reserved for Scheduled Tribes and has a significant tribal population. Vijay Singh Gond was widely regarded as the patriarch of tribal politics in the region.
A towering figure in the state’s tribal political landscape, Gond represented the Duddhi constituency in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly seven times and was known for raising issues related to tribal rights and welfare on the floor of the House.
In the 2024 by-election, he defeated BJP candidate Shravan Gond by a margin of 3,160 votes. Earlier, in the 2022 Assembly elections, he had won the seat by defeating Ramdular Gond with a margin of 6,297 votes.
Vijay Singh Gond also served as a minister during the Samajwadi Party government and wielded considerable influence within the party organisation.
His political journey was marked by struggle and perseverance. Beginning with limited resources, he started his career at the Vanvasi Seva Ashram in 1979 on a modest monthly honorarium of Rs 200. During this period, he entered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly for the first time on a Congress ticket.
Deeply committed to tribal causes, Gond fought a prolonged legal battle up to the Supreme Court to ensure that the Duddhi and Obra Assembly constituencies were reserved for Scheduled Tribes. His efforts played a crucial role in strengthening political representation and empowerment of tribal communities in the region.
With his passing, Uttar Pradesh politics has lost a veteran leader whose life and work were closely intertwined with the aspirations and struggles of the tribal population.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav expressed deep grief over the demise of the senior MLA.
