In May 1996, after the defeat of Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, Singh was the guiding spirit behind the formation of the United Front and was the first choice for Prime Ministership.

But he declined the offer. After the government of H D Deve Gowda fell in April 1997, he again played an important role from his hospital bed along with the late Left veteran Harkishan Singh Surjeet in maintaining the UF unity and making Inder Kumar Gujral the Prime Minister.

Away from politics, Singh had always taken a keen interest in poetry and painting and had also held exhibitions of his artwork.

He has penned a number of poems and his first anthology of poems 'Ek Tukda Dharti, Ek Tukda Asman' was published some time back. Perhaps the greatest rallying point for 'anti- Congressism' in the country after Jaiprakash Narayan, Singh, however, took positions nearer to that of Congress in late years, particularly after BJP came to power at the Centre in 1998.

Born in Allahabad on June 25, 1931, Singh studied science with aspirations of becoming a nuclear scientist and came out with flying colours in the B.Sc. examinations in Ferguson College, Pune.

But he finally gave pursuing M.Sc. from Allahabad University and was lured into politics. He made his debut as a Congress legislator in 1969 winning the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and remained a member of the House till 1971, before being elected for the first time to Lok Sabha.

Singh was inducted into Indira Gandhi's Council of Ministers as a Deputy Minister of Commerce. After that, there was no looking back for him.

... contd.