KANPUR, Nov. 28 -- Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal passed away following a prolonged illness in Kanpur on Friday. He was 81. The Congress leader is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Confirming Jaiswal's demise, Congress city unit chief Pawan Gupta said his condition deteriorated suddenly. He was initially admitted to a nursing home in Kidwai Nagar and later referred to a cardiology institute where doctors declared him dead.

A veteran politician, Jaiswal was first elected the mayor of Kanpur in 1989. His political career gained momentum when he was given the Congress ticket for the Lok Sabha elections in 1998, polling 99,000 votes in what was considered a BJP stronghold.

He went on to rep...