India, Sept. 29 -- Former Himachal Pradesh cabinet minister and five-time Shahpur MLA Major Vijai Singh Mankotia (retd) passed away on Tuesday morning following a heart attack at his ancestral home in Tiara village, Kangra district. He was 87.

An army veteran who entered public service after retiring from military duty, Mankotia launched his political career by winning his first assembly election as an Independent from Shahpur in 1982.

Over a career spanning four decades, he established a distinct presence across Himachal Pradesh as an outspoken regional figure and a vocal advocate for military veterans. He subsequently joined the Congress, winning re-election multiple times and serving twice as a state cabinet minister handling major p...