‘Robin Hood of Rae Bareli’, Five-Time MLA Akhilesh Singh Dies

Akhilesh Singh, a five-time MLA known as the “Robin Hood of Rae Bareli”, died early on Tuesday at the SGPGI hospital in Lucknow after a long illness. His last rites were to be held at his ancestral home in Lalupur village in Rae Bareli.

A local strongman

Singh was a powerful local figure known for outspoken remarks. He represented Rae Bareli (Sadar), winning once on a Congress ticket, once for the Peace Party and several times as an independent.

Although he had been associated with the Congress, he was never quite a party loyalist. When members of the Gandhi family held rallies in the constituency, he was known to organise his own on the same day and draw bigger crowds. Supporters chanted slogans such as “Akhilesh Singh ki baat par, mohar lagegi haath par” during campaigns, and his hold over local voters remained strong even after he moved away from the Congress.

His daughter, Aditi Singh, studied abroad and later joined the Congress. She won her father’s seat in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election by a margin of about 95,000 votes.

Last political remarks

Shortly before his health worsened, the former MLA praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for ending Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Articles 370 and 35A. “I am not a Congressi, I am an Indian first,” he had said, adding that some issues rise above party lines and that Congress members should understand this.

See also: Indian National Congress and Uttar Pradesh MLAs.

Originally published on 20 August 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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