New Delhi: Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi passed at 84 in Guwahati on Monday while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications. His death was confirmed by Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
A three-time chief minister, Tarun Gogoi is survived by wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima and son Gaurav. He breathed his last at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital at 5.34 PM.
The former chief minister was first admitted to the hospital on August 26 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was released for a brief period before being admitted again on November 2.
However, his health condition deteriorated on November 21, following multi-organ failure and was put on invasive ventilation.
Tarun Gogoi was given dialysis on Sunday. His condition deteriorated further over the past few hours and it was stated to be “very very critical”.
A six-time parliamentarian and a Union minister twice, Tarun Gogoi was the MLA from the Titabor assembly constituency since 2001.
Sarma said Tarun Gogoi’s organs had failed with the brain receiving some signals, eyes were showing some reflexes and his heart was functioning as a pace-maker was fitted, but no other organs were functioning.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi inquired about his health, his son Gaurav Gogoi has said.
His son said that Tarun Gogoi’s pulse rate and blood pressure were under check, and his oxygen saturation level was 95-97 per cent.
In the days before he was diagnosed with COVID-19, Tarun Gogoi was at the forefront of the Congress initiative to form a ‘Grand Alliance’, comprising all the opposition parties for the 2021 assembly polls.