KATHMANDU, July 2: Former Minister Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar passed away on Friday at the age of 75. Manandhar was suffering from cancer.

 Manandhar was admitted to Norvic Hospital on June 24. According to the hospital, Manandhar breathed his last at 10:45 am Friday. Manandhar had returned home two months ago after receiving treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, Delhi.

Manandhar, who completed his Ph D in Geography from the University of Oklahoma, USA in 1973, was appointed the head of the TU Central Department of Geography from 1987 to 1999. He was appointed the vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission during the CPN-UML government led by Manmohan Adhikari.

He was a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2007 and held the ministerial portfolio for education and sports in 2006-2007. Later, he left the CPN-UML to join the Federal Socialist Party. He represented the party as a Constituent Assembly member from 2008 to 2012.

He was the chief of the advisors' committee of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN). Issuing a press release, the FSFN has expressed its sorrow on the demise of its senior leader and declared to close all its offices for three days and keep the party flag at half-mast.

FSFN Chairman Upendra Yadav has expressed his condolences and urged party cadres to keep walking on the ideological path shown by the party's guardian figure. Yadav said that Manandhar was a crusader of identity-based politics.