Former Delhi Minister AK Walia succumbs to COVID-19

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Minister and senior Delhi Congress leader, AK Walia died of COVID-19 on Thursday. He was 72. Walia breathed his last at the Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

A doctor by profession, Walia was elected to the Delhi Assembly four times. He was the minister of Health, Urban Development, and Land and Building in the Sheila Dikshit cabinet. He was also the Chairman of the Trans Yamuna Area Development Board.

In April 2017, ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, Walia quit the party after being denied a ticket. He alleged that the tickets were being sold for money. His exit was a big jolt to the party as he had considerable popularity in East Delhi. However, Walia returned to Congress after the elections.

Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary mourned his demise as a big loss for the party.