He was admitted to the hospital on Friday after he complained of chest pain during a visit to Pokhran with Prime Minister A B Vajpayee. He had suffered a mild heart attack.

Singh suffered another massive cardiac arrest this morning and efforts to resuscitate him proved futile, a hospital spokesman said. He was 71. Singh's blood sugar level had shot up during the Pokhran visit where he suffered a mild stroke. He was rushed to Delhi for medical treatment. He suffered another massive attack at 2:15 p m and died soon after. He was declared dead at 5p m.

Singh had no prior history of heart ailment. Though the doctors refused to confirm, it is suspected that the exposure to intense weather precipitated the attack.

A seasoned politician and renowned freedom fighter, Singh occupied the office of governor for only 24 days. Sworn-in on May 1, Singh's careerin active politics spanned several decades.

He was born on February 25, 1927 in J B village in Layalpur district (now in Pakistan). An engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College Roorkee, Singh had served as either member or office bearer of different bodies from the panchayat up to the Lok Sabha. He won the Punjab Assembly elections thrice in 1967, 1969 and 1972. Singh also served as a deputy minister in Punjab government from 1968 to 1969. Later, he was elected speaker of the Assembly in 1969.

He won the LS polls in 1996 from Jalandhar on an Akali Dal ticket. He did not contest, when the Akali Dal decided to support the then PM I K Gujral. Singh had also participated actively in the ``Quit India'' movement in 1942. PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee today expressed profound shock and grief over the sudden demise of Darbara Singh. He said that Singh was ``a versatile leader and a warm personality''. He described Singh as a prominent public figure in Punjab who had dedicated his entire life to the welfareof the society.

Vajpayee recalled his recent meeting with Singh and said the governor looked healthy. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Rajasthan CM Bhairon Singh Sekhawat described him as an ``amicable person and able administrator''. The Rajasthan government has announced a three-day state mourning from Monday and conveyed its sympathies to members of the bereaved family. State Home Minister Kailash Meghwal also expressed grief over his death and said Singh was ``an experienced administrator''. Singh's body will lie at the Jodhpur house till tomorrow, after which it will be taken to his native village Munsiya, near Nakoddar in Punjab.