Manmohan Singh To Sitaram Yechury: Indian Political Stalwarts Who Died In 2024

In 2024, India lost several prominent politicians across various parties, leaving a significant impact on the country's political landscape.

As India mourns the loss of former prime minister and the architect of India's economic liberalisation, Manmohan Singh, here are remember some other political stalwarts who shaped the Indian political scene across the years.

Manmohan Singh, who was the prime minister between 2004 and 2014, passed away at the age of 92 on Dec. 26.

During his tenure as the PM, the country implemented an array of welfare schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Earlier, Singh served as the finance minister under the Narsimha Rao-led government in the critical period of early 1990s. He was credited for effectively addressing the 1991 economic crisis, which led India to embrace liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.

A stalwart of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the former general secretary died on Sept. 12 at the age of 72. He was a prominent advocate for leftist policies and held influential roles within his party for decades.

A senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Modi passed away on May 13 at 72. He succumbed to cancer after a brief illness. His career spanned over three decades, during which he held various legislative and ministerial roles.

The former Congress MLA and NCP leader was shot on Oct. 12 in Mumbai in an attack linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. His death shocked Maharashtra's political scene​

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the former chief minister of West Bengal and a senior CPI(M) leader, passed away on Aug. 8, 2024, at the age of 80 in Kolkata.

Bhattacharjee served as the chief minister from 2000 to 2011, succeeding Jyoti Basu, and played a significant role in shaping West Bengal's industrial policies during his tenure.

Indian National Lok Dal president and former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala died in Gurugram on Dec. 20 at 89. Chautala, a five-time chief minister of Haryana and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal's son, suffered a cardiac arrest at his Gurugram home and was immediately rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

The senior Congress leader and former external affairs minister died on Aug. 10 at 93 after a prolonged illness. Before his political career, Singh served in the Indian Foreign Service. He was a key figure in the UPA government under the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh​.

A leader from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Jitta Reddy was known for his activism in the Telangana statehood movement, passed away on Sept. 6 at 52​. He is known for his contribution to the cause of Telangana state.