Senior Congress leader and former minister G S Bali on Friday night passed away at the age of 67 after prolonged illness at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
His son Raghubir Singh Bali informed about the Congress leader’s death on social media and said Bali passed away at AIIMS Delhi where he was undergoing treatment for the last few days.
Bali’s mortal remains will be brought to his hometown Nagrota in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh by air ambulance where his cremation will be held on Sunday.
Bali had first contested elections on Congress ticket in 1998 after which he retained the seat till 2017 for four consecutive terms and he also remained Transport minister till 2017 after he was given the portfolio in 2003.
Bali was appointed in charge of by-polls to the Mandi parliamentary constituency but he became ill after which he was admitted to AIIMS for further medical treatment.
State Congress party organized a condolence meet at party office Rajiv Bhawan in Shimla in which HP Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, former MLA Adarsh Sood, state Congress secretary Hari Krishan Himral along with other party workers paid tributes to Bali.
The Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, former state Congress chief Viplove Thakur too condoled the death of the former minister.
HP Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP national chief JP Nadda, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, former CMs Pram Kumar Dhumal, Shanta Kumar, state BJP chief Suresh Kashyap, state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna and co-incharge Sanjay Tandon too condoled Bali’s demise.