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Loved by some and hated by many in equal measures, Amar Singh, who was called by his detractors the ‘Machiavelli’ of Indian politics and a “friend of a friend” by his well-wishers is no more, having breathed his last in a hospital in Singapore.
The Rajya Sabha MP had gone to a hospital in Singapore in March for surgery in a kidney-related illness. He had undergone a kidney transplant in 2011.
Amar Singh was a key leader in the Samajwadi Party at a time when the party moved to support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2008, after the Communist Party of India withdrew from the government over a nuclear deal with the US.
Many leaders have tweeted their condolences. “Amar Singh Ji was an energetic public figure. In the last few decades, he witnessed some of the major political developments from close quarters. He was known for his friendships across many spheres of life. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his friends & family. Om Shanti,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.