Motilal Vora: A 'true congressman' with decades-long 'administrative' experience

Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora passed away on December 21, a day after celebrating his 93^rd birthday

Vora, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, had tested positive for COVID-19 in October when was admitted to AIIMS.

Vora was again admitted to the Escorts Hospital in Okhla a few days ago with a urinary infection, according to news agency PTI. He also had a lung infection and was put on ventilator support, his family said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who condoled Vora’s death hailing his ‘administrative and organisational skills’.

Shri Motilal Vora Ji was among the senior-most Congress leaders, who had vast administrative and organisational experience in a political career that spanned decades. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and well-wishers. Om Shanti: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 21, 2020

Vora was born on December 20, 1927, at Nimbi Jodha in Jodhpur State of British India's Rajputana Agency in the present-day Nagaur district of Rajasthan. He studied at Raipur and Kolkata and was married to Shanti Devi Vora. They have four daughters and two sons. One of his sons Arun Vora is an MLA from Durg in Chhattisgarh.

Rahul Gandhi called Vora a ‘true Congressman’.

Vora ji was a true congressman and a wonderful human being. We will miss him very much.

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My love & condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/MvBBGGJV27

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 21, 2020

Vora worked for several newspapers as a stringer before jumping into politics in 1968 when he joined the Socialist Party. In 1970, he joined the Congress and won his first assembly election in 1972. He was elected to the state assembly again in 1977 and 1980. He became a minister in Arjun's Singh's cabinet in Madhya Pradesh in 1983.

Vora became the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh on March 13, 1985. On February 13, 1988, he resigned as the CM and took charge of the union ministry of health, family welfare and civil aviation through Rajya Sabha. Vora was governor of Uttar Pradesh from May 16, 1993, to May 3, 1996. In 1988, he was a member of the 12^th Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon seat in Chhattisgarh.

Vora was considered close to the Gandhi family. He supported the nomination of Rahul Gandhi as the party's prime ministerial candidate. He also served as the president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, the party's state unit, in the 1980s. He also served as the Congress party’s treasurer for many years before Ahmed Patel was given the post two years back.

Vohra was also the AICC general secretary (administration) before the recent party reshuffle by the then party president Sonia Gandhi. Vora was one of the five party leaders who were removed from the post of general secretaries. Of the five, only Vora and Luizinho Faleiro were dropped from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) list.

Vora held important positions in all the three entities involved in the National Herald Case -- the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the Young Indian and the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He became the chairman and managing director of AJL on March 22, 2002.

Sorry about the passing away of Motilal Vora , an old warhorse , a valued colleague , a dear friend who was always committed to the Ideology of the Congress Party and stood by it at all times . My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family . May his soul rest in peace.

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) December 21, 2020

He is the third senior leader of the Congress, after Tarun Gogoi and Ahmed Patel, to die in the span of a month.

Vora will be cremated in Chhattisgarh where his body will be taken either later today day or on December 22.