Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passes away

Prominent Indian politician Sharad Yadav passed away on Thursday at the age of 75. The former union minister was rushed to a private hospital in Gurugram and was pronounced dead despite attempts to revive him. Yadav had a long and successful political career, having been elected to the Lok Sabha, seven times and serving three terms in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house. He was a member of the JanataDal United party, which is currently in power in the state of Bihar, but left the party after a split with the party's leader, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In 2018, he founded the Loktantrik Janata Dal but later merged it with the Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Yadav, citing the need for a united opposition. Yadav's passing has been met with condolences from political leaders and members of the public, who remember him as a dedicated and respected politician.