Former Union Minister Arun Nehru passed away on 25th July 2013 at the age of 69, in a Gurgaon Hospital after three weeks of illness. A cousin of Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Nehru was the Minister of State for Internal Security in the Rajiv Gandhi government. He was also a columnist and a renowned political analyst.

Arun Nehru was a political heavyweight during the Prime Minister-ship of Rajiv Gandhi. He had a successful career in the corporate world before joining politics in the early 1980s.

Born in Lucknow, Nehru moved out of the family home in Allahabad at an early age and studied at the La Martinere Boys College in Lucknow. He started his professional career in the corporate sector at the age of 20 and had a successful career there for 17 years. He was the President of Jenson and Nicholson group of companies.

Nehru entered politics after encouraged by Indira Gandhi and became a member of Parliament in the 7th and 8th Lok Sabhas from Rae Bareli from INC. Later he got elected for the 9th Lok Sabha from Bilhaur as a Janata Dal leader.

As per some reports he was the man behind the conception of including celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Sunil Dutta in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections when he was an advisor to Rajiv Gandhi.

Ashok Sahu, Senior BJP leader from Odisha said “Arun Nehru was a … first cousin of Rajiv Gandhi, but after the Bofors expose he deserted Rajiv and got elected to Loksabha for the third term with JD (U) ticket. Till the last he was actively writing on the national politics.

I convey my sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved family and pray, may his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Mr. Nehru is survived by his wife Subhadra and two daughters.