Former Union Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal, a senior Congress leader and three-time Member of Parliament from Kanpur, passed away in Kanpur on Friday after a prolonged period of illness. He had been suffering for an extended time, and his health had declined sharply earlier in the day. He was immediately taken to the Kanpur Cardiology hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Rakesh Verma, Director of Cardiology, confirmed that “Mr Shri Prakash Jaiswal was dead when he was brought to the hospital.”
Jaiswal, born on 25 September 1944 in Kanpur, had a long and notable political career. He was elected to the Lok Sabha three consecutive times from the Kanpur constituency, beginning with his first victory in 1999, followed by re-elections in 2004 and 2009. During his years in national politics, he held important ministerial responsibilities during the UPA era. From May 2004 to May 2009, he served as Minister of State for Home Affairs. Later, from January 2011 to May 2014, he served as the Union Minister of Coal in the Manmohan Singh-led government.
Beyond his contributions at the Centre, Jaiswal also worked in key organisational roles within the Congress party. He served as President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee from December 2000 to July 2002, playing a crucial role in state-level party leadership.
His passing marks the end of a significant chapter for Kanpur politics and the Congress organisation in Uttar Pradesh.
