Manmohan Singh, Rahul, Sonia Gandhi pay last respects to ND Tiwari

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday visited the residence of former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand chief minister ND Tiwari, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 93, and offered their last respects.

Congress senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel also paid their last respects to the veteran Congress leader.

Tiwari, who was the only politician to have served as the chief minister of two states, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, passed away in a hospital in south Delhi on his 93rd birthday on Thursday. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Max Hospital in July following kidney infection and multiple organ failure.

Shortly after his demise, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed their condolences.

"Sad to hear of the passing of veteran political figure and former Union minister Shri N.D. Tiwari. As chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and later Uttarakhand, he contributed much to the development and public welfare. My condolences to his family and associates," President Kovind had tweeted.

Terming him as a "towering leader who was known for his administrative skills," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also twitted, "He will be remembered for his efforts towards industrial growth and working for the progress of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, a state he steered in its initial days."

Born on October 18, 1925, Tiwari served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice - from 1976-77, 1984-85 and then from 1988-89. He was also the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2002 till 2007.

In 1986-1987, he worked as the Minister for External Affairs in the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's cabinet. He was appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh in 2007, a position that he continued to hold till 2009.