Gurugram/Chandigarh, May 25: Independent MLA Rakesh Daulatabad from the Badshahpur assembly constituency died of a heart attack on Saturday morning, police said.
The 45-year-old MLA suffered a heart attack in the morning and was taken to a private hospital, they said.
He died during treatment at Manipal Hospital in Palam Vihar here, they said.
Daulatabad had won the Badshahpur seat in the 2019 assembly elections as an independent candidate and later supported the BJP government.
The family members of the deceased MLA could not be contacted. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Karan Goel confirmed the family has received information about the MLA's death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at Daulatabad's death, saying with his hard work and dedication had created a distinct identity among the people at a very young age.
"I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of Haryana MLA Rakesh Daulatabad ji. With his hard work and dedication, he had created a distinct identity among the people at a very young age," Modi posted on X.
"May God give strength to his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!," Modi posted in Hindi.
Political leaders from ruling the BJP and other parties also condoled the MLA's death.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar have expressed grief over Daulatabad's death and said his demise has created a void in state's politics.
"I am saddened and shocked by the sudden demise of Badshahpur MLA," Saini posted on X.
The chief minister said Daulatabad's sudden death has created a void in the state's politics.
Former CM Khattar also expressed grief over Daulatabad's death. "I am shocked and saddened by the news of the sudden demise of Shri Rakesh Daulatabad, MLA from Badshahpur Assembly," he posted on X.
Khattar said the Haryana Assembly has lost a young and energetic member and that Daulatabad will always be missed in the state's politics.
Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala and JJP's Dushyant Chautala also condoled the demise of the legislator.
The 90-member Haryana Assembly at present has an effective strength of 88 with Karnal and Rania assembly seats being vacant.
After Daulatabad's demise, the strength of the assembly has come down to 87.
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Kyiv, May (AP): At least four people, including three near Moscow, died in one of the largest Ukrainian overnight attacks against Russia since the start of the war, according to Russian local authorities.
A woman was killed after a drone hit her home in Khimki, a city just northwest of Moscow, and two men died in the village of Pogorelki 10 km north of the capital, according to local Gov. Andrei Vorobyev.
In social media updates, Vorobyev said Ukrainian drones had also damaged unspecified “infrastructure” and several high-rises.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the nighttime strike, mostly near the entrance to the city's oil refinery, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported. Sobyanin reported the “technology” of the refinery has not been damaged.
Russian defences shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
One man was also killed as a drone struck a lorry in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Russian air defences destroyed 556 drones over Russia overnight, the country's defence ministry said Sunday morning. Shortly after midday local time, it reported that over 1,000 had been shot down or jammed in the previous 24 hours.
Russia's largest airport — Moscow's Sheremetyevo — said drone debris had fallen on its premises without causing damage.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 287 drones overnight on Sunday, 279 of which were shot down or jammed, the Ukrainian air force reported.
According to Ukraine's estate emergency service, the strikes injured 8 people in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region: three in the regional capital of Dnipro, four in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, and one in the district of Synelkove.
Residential buildings were damaged in all three locations, the service said.
