Ram Govind Chaudhary, a stalwart of Uttar Pradesh politics, had served eight terms as an MLA and twice as a minister under Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, before stepping into the opposition's leadership role in 2017.
He had been grappling with heart and kidney ailments for years, undergoing heart surgery at Medanta and dialysis at Max Hospital before being admitted to SGPGI two weeks earlier; he succumbed to complications there at 9 pm.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posted on X, "The passing of Ram Govind Chaudhary is deeply saddening," adding a prayer for the family, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also offered condolences and praised Chaudhary's commitment to the marginalized.
Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana expressed grief, highlighting Chaudhary's loss of an experienced public servant and noting his long service to the state.
Born in 1953 in Sikandarpur, Ballia, Chaudhary emerged from student movements during the Emergency, confronting the regime and later aligning with Jayaprakash Narayan and Chandra Shekhar.
A memorial service for Chaudhary will be held Saturday at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow, where party cadres will pay final respects.