I thought the biggest India-Russia connection came from that romantic walk that PM Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin took last year and looked so much in love.

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But, now there's another connection and yes, it's not as exciting as Modi and Putin looking like they're filming their pre-wedding video, but it's still worth noting.

Originally from Patna, Bihar, Abhay Kumar Singh has made history by becoming a lawmaker in a provincial Assembly in Russia. He migrated to Russia in 1991 and recently fought the local elections to the Kursk city Assembly on a ticket of “United Russia”, the ruling political party led by President Vladimir Putin, and won to become a 'Deputat'. Just for reference, a 'Deputat' is like an MLA in India.

He told The Sunday Guardian that he came to Russia after completing his graduation in India to study medicine. He said, “My father passed away when I was just 13 years old. At that time only, I had decided to become a doctor. Hence, I came here. After graduating from the Kursk State Medical University, I went back to Patna to practice as a registered doctor there. But I came back here after some time and entered the pharmaceutical business. However, gradually, I entered politics.”

He said he felt awkward in the beginning being the only Indian-origin person among the Russian lawmakers, but soon earned everyone's respect.

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When asked about the reason behind joining the United Russia party, he said, “I was very impressed by the policies of Vladimir Putin as he has been able to bring back the clout of Russia in the world and so I felt that I should also contribute to his work.”

He also mentioned he hasn't lost touch with his Indian routes. He said, “I am still interested in the political happenings in India, and I like Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar. I want that relations between India and Russia always stay warm as they have been. Everyone here still remembers the popular slogan 'Hindi Russi Bhai Bhai'. That is the spirit that should govern our relations.”