Singh, a close associate of ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, died in Delhi on Sunday following a long spell of illness. He was 82.

"Saddened at the passing away of former Defence Minister and one of India's longest-serving parliamentarians, Jaswant Singh Ji. My condolences to his family and his many admirers," the chief minister tweeted. A nine-term MP, Singh held defence, finance and external affairs portfolios in the Vajpayee government. He was elected from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in 2009.