Krishan Kant

Krishan Kant (28 February 1927 – 27 July 2002) was an Indian politician who served as the vice president of India from 1997 until his death in 2002. Prior to his vice presidency, Kant was the governor of Andhra Pradesh from 1990 to 1997. He was a member of both houses of the Indian Parliament, representing Haryana in the Rajya Sabha from 1966 to 1977, and Chandigarh in the Lok Sabha from 1977 to 1980. Kalam took oath as president two days prior to Kant's death. in Kot Mohammad Khan, Amritsar district, Punjab province Both of Kant's parents were imprisoned by the British colonial government on various occasions for their involvement in independence activism, including alongside Kant (aged 16) and his siblings in 1942. Post-independence, Lala Achint Ram was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and represented Hisar and Patiala in the Lok Sabha. Satyavati Devi outlived her son and died in 2010 as India's oldest surviving independence activist. The couple had two sons and a daughter. In 1980 general election, Kant lost his seat to Congress' Jagannath Kaushal, and was placed third with 9.30% of the vote, behind Kaushal and independent candidate Ram Swarup.

Krishan Kant was the founding general secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties in 1976. He also was a member of the executive council of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis.

In 1990, Kant was appointed governor of Andhra Pradesh by President R. Venkataraman, on advice of the V. P. Singh government. He defeated former Punjab chief minister Surjit Singh Barnala to become India's tenth vice president.

During the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the terrorists crashed their vehicle into Kant's car before commencing the attack. Kant himself was unhurt during the attack.

2002 Presidential election

He was considered as a potential presidential candidate prior to the 2002 election. Till date, he remains the only Indian vice president to have died in office.

Prime minister Vajpayee noted Kant's contribution to the independence movement and his opposition to the Emergency and termed his death the "end of an era". He further declared three days of national mourning. Pakistani president Musharraf sent a letter of condolence to Indian president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. His funeral was attended by president Kalam, prime minister Vajpayee, deputy prime minister Advani, and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi.