The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha’s budget session took an emotional turn on its second day as members paid heartfelt tributes to late MLAs Professor Shyam Bihari Lal and Vijay Singh Gond. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath introduced the condolence resolution Tuesday, followed by a two-minute silence and adjournment until Wednesday’s budget presentation.
Yogi portrayed BJP’s Lal, twice-elected from Bareilly’s Faridpur (2017, 2022), as a grounded, socially committed figure. At 60, he passed on January 2, 2026. His education background shone through roles at JNU and Bareilly’s history body. Lal drove constituency development, especially for the needy, proving scholars make robust public servants. His loss pains BJP and the state.
For SP’s Gond, an octogenarian victor from Sonbhadra’s Dudhi—elected 1980 onwards, latest in 2024—Yogi lauded his tribal advocacy. Dying January 8, 2026, at 71, Gond championed essentials: rights over resources, schooling, medical care, connectivity, livelihoods. His unpretentious style and perseverance defined him.
Leaders from SP (Mata Prasad Pandey), Congress, JD(L), SBSP echoed praises. Speaker Satish Mahana expressed collective sorrow over losing experienced, service-oriented lawmakers. The session’s halt till budget day symbolizes respect for legacies enduring beyond chambers.
This ritual of remembrance in Lucknow reinforces assembly’s human side, where political divides fade against shared loss. As UP gears for fiscal plans, reflections on Lal’s scholarly service and Gond’s tribal tenacity remind of democracy’s true pillars: commitment to the common good.