New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94. A prominent figure in Indian politics, Kidwai served in the Cabinets of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and held several high-ranking positions within the Congress party.

Kidwai passed away at Noida's Metro Hospital early in the morning. She was suffering from age-related ailments, her son-in-law Razi Ur Rehman Kidwai said.

Born on January 1, 1930, in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, Kidwai began her notable legislative journey by being elected to the Lok Sabha from Meerut in 1977. She went on to serve in the seventh and eighth Lok Sabhas and later represented Chhattisgarh as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2004 to 2016. Her administrative experience also extended to the Uttar Pradesh state government, where she managed portfolios including Food and Civil Supplies, Social Welfare, and Small-Scale Industries.

Kidwai first ascended to the Union Cabinet in 1982 as the Minister of Labour (1982–83). Over the years, she held various crucial portfolios, including Health and Family Welfare (1983–84), Rural Development (1984), Transport (1986) and Urban Development (1986–89). She was also an active member of numerous parliamentary committees.

Within the party, Kidwai was known as a close confidante of Sonia Gandhi. She served as the AICC General Secretary and was a member of the Congress Working Committee, notably holding charge of party affairs in Kerala.

She is survived by three daughters. Her husband, Khalil R Kidwai, predeceased her. Her funeral procession will depart from her residence in Sector-40, Noida, at 3 pm on Wednesday, with the final rites scheduled for 5 pm.
(With PTI inputs)