3 min readLucknowUpdated: Jan 9, 2026 11:48 AM IST
Vijay Singh Gond spent the last three months at the government-run SGPGI, and before that had undergone treatment at a private hospital in Lucknow for over five months. (Source: FB)
Samajwadi Party Duddhi MLA Vijay Singh Gond, 71, passed away during treatment for a kidney ailment in Lucknow’s SGPGI on Thursday morning.
This is the second time that the seat has fallen vacant after the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Vijay Singh Gond was elected to the seat in a bypoll held in 2024 after the then-sitting BJP MLA Ram Dular Gond was convicted in a rape case by a local court.
Vijay Singh Gond spent the last three months at the government-run SGPGI, and before that had undergone treatment at a private hospital in Lucknow for over five months.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reached SGPGI soon after learning about the veteran Scheduled Tribe leader’s death around 10.30 am. The former chief minister made arrangements to send the body to Sonbhadra district, an SP leader informed.
He said both kidneys of Vijay Gond were not functioning, and the legislator had been seriously ill for more than one year. The last rites of the SP MLA will be held on Friday.
According to the UP Assembly records, where Vijay Singh Gond’s name is mentioned as Vijay Singh, he was first elected to the eighth assembly in 1980 on a Congress ticket and won the seat again in 1984. From 1988, he held the seat as an Independent, before winning the Duddhi seat as a Janata Dal candidate in 1991. Vijay Gond later won the seat on an SP ticket in 1993, 1996 and 2002. He also served as Minister of State in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government for three months in 2003.
Vijay Singh Gond served as the chairman of UP Projects Corporation from 2003 to 2007. He also spent six months in Mirzapur jail on charges under the National Security Act.
Story continues below this ad
He is survived by his wife and two sons. Vijay Singh Gond’s wife, Krishna Devi, 62, had been a Zila Panchayat member twice, but is currently not active in politics.
With Vijay Singh Gond’s demise, three UP Assembly seats have fallen vacant. Mau district’s Ghosi seat fell vacant after sitting SP MLA Sudhakar Singh passed away on November 20 last year, while Fareedpur BJP MLA Shyam Lal Pal died five days ago.
Like Dudhhi seat, Ghosi constituency, too, will be going for a by-election for the second time. In the 2022 Assembly elections, Dara Singh Chauhan had won the seat, but he joined the BJP the next year. A by-election was held in 2023, in which SP’s Sudhakar Singh defeated Dara Singh Chauhan.
Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution.
Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape.
Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More
