Virbhadra Singh

**Virbhadra Singh** (23 June 1934 – 8 July 2021) was an Indian politician. He was the longest-serving and 4th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He was the Chief Minister from 2012 to 2017 before being replaced by BJP's Jai Ram Thakur in December 2017. He also was Chief Minister from 1983 to 1990, from 1993 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2007. He was an elected member of the Lok Sabha in 1962, 1967, 1971, 1980 and in 2009. He was a member of the Indian National Congress.

## Early life

Virbhadra Singh was born at Sarahan, Shimla district on 23 June 1934. He was born in a royal family of the princely state of Bushahr.

Singh studied at Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun, St. Edward's School, Shimla and Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. He later got a BA Honours degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.

He married Ratna Kumari in May 1954. The couple's daughter Abhilasha Kumari is a former judge.

In 1986, he was married for the second time, to Pratibha Singh. His second wife was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004.

## Death

Sign was hospitalized with COVID-19 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in June 2021. He died from the infection on 8 July 2021, aged 87.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Virbhadra Singh
- **office**: List of Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, 4th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh
- **image**: Virbhadra_Singh_HP.jpg
- **constituency**: Shimla Rural (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Shimla Rural
- **predecessor**: Prem Kumar Dhumal
- **successor**: Jai Ram Thakur
- **signature**: Virbhadra_Singh_Signature.svg
- **signature alt**: Virbhadra_Singh_Signature.svg
- **party**: Indian National Congress
- **birth place**: Sarahan, Punjab Province (British India), Punjab, British India
(now in Himachal Pradesh, India)
- **nationality**: Indian
- **children**: 4
- **residence**: *Padam Palace, Rampur Bushahr, Himachal Pradesh, India
*Holly Lodge, Shimla
- **alma mater**: Colonel Brown Cambridge School
St. Edward's School, Shimla
Bishop Cotton School (Shimla)
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
Delhi University
- **term start**: 25 December 2012
- **term end**: 27 December 2017
- **constituency2**: Rohru (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Rohru
- **term start2**: 6 March 2003
- **term end2**: 30 December 2007
- **predecessor2**: Prem Kumar Dhumal
- **successor2**: Prem Kumar Dhumal
- **constituency3**: Rohru (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Rohru
- **term start3**: 3 December 1993
- **term end3**: 24 March 1998
- **predecessor3**: Shanta Kumar
- **successor3**: Prem Kumar Dhumal
- **term start4**: 8 April 1983
- **term end4**: 5 March 1990
- **predecessor4**: Thakur Ram Lal
- **successor4**: Shanta Kumar
- **constituency4**: Rohru (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Rohru
- **office5**: Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), MLA, Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
- **constituency5**: Arki (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Arki
- **term start5**: 2017
- **term end5**: 8 July 2021
- **predecessor5**: Govind Ram Sharma
- **successor5**: Vacant
- **office6**: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (India), Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- **term start6**: 19 January 2011
- **term end6**: 26 June 2012
- **primeminister6**: Manmohan Singh
- **predecessor6**: Dinsha Patel
- **successor6**: Vilasrao Deshmukh
- **office7**: Ministry of Steel (India), Minister of Steel
- **term start7**: 28 May 2009
- **primeminister7**: Manmohan Singh
- **term end7**: 18 January 2011
- **predecessor7**: Ram Vilas Paswan
- **successor7**: Beni Prasad Verma
- **office8**: Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India), Minister of State for Industries
- **term start8**: September 1982
- **term end8**: April 1983
- **primeminister8**: Indira Gandhi
- **office9**: Ministry of Tourism (India), Minister of State for Tourism, Civil Aviation
- **primeminister9**: Indira Gandhi
- **term start9**: December 1976
- **term end9**: March 1977
- **death place**: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India