Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon dies at 90

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon, who was one of the founder members of the BJP's parent organisation the Jan Sangh, died after suffering a heart attack at a government hospital here today, an official said.

He was 90.

Tandon breathed his last at the state-run Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hospital where he was rushed in the morning after he complained of uneasiness, the governor's secretary, Surendra Kumar Jasiwal, told PTI.

He was kept in the hospital's critical care unit in view of his serious condition, he said.

Tandon suffered a heart attack, the hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Vivek Choudhary, said.

Chief Minister Raman Singh, who visited the hospital earlier on getting the news of Tandon's illness, announced a seven-day state mourning in view of the governor's demise.

The Independence Day will be observed in a traditional manner tomorrow and there will be no award and cultural ceremonies, the chief minister said in an official release.

The body was kept at the Raj Bhavan for people to pay their last respects.

Later in the evening it was flown in a state plane to Chandigarh, Tandon's native state, in Punjab, after it was accorded full state honours, including the guard of honour, public relation officer at Raj Bhavan Harsha Pauranik said.

Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, Singh and his cabinet colleagues, state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel were among those who paid their last respects to Tandon.

Chief Minister Singh said Tandon was like a father-figure to him.

"In last four years during his stint as governor, I always got guidance from him on subjects related to state's interest and betterment of public," he said.

"His demise is a personal loss for me. He was a simple, genuine and sincere person. We rarely find people like him in politics," Singh said.

Baghel, Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo and other Congress leaders also expressed grief over the demise of the governor.

Tandon had assumed the office of governor in Chhattisgarh in July 2014.

He was one of the founder members of Jan Sangh, out of which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was born.

During his long political career, Tandon served on various posts, including as deputy chief minister of Punjab.

The six-time MLA was also jailed from 1975 to 1977 during Emergency.