Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini passes away

Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini, who was admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi last week after a lung infection, died on Monday, a hospital official said. He was 75.

"Saini was admitted in the hospital on June 22. He passed away today (Monday) evening around 7 p.m," an AIIMS official told IANS, adding that the BJP leader was "having some blood-related issues".

According to a BJP leader, Saini's body will be taken to Jaipur by road late on Monday and will be kept at the BJP state party office from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday for people to pay homage. It will then be taken to his hometown Sikar, where it will be kept from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for people to pay tribute and then the last rites will be held.

A sitting Rajya Sabha member, Saini, who was appointed as the party's Rajasthan chief in June last year - months before the state went to assembly polls, was not well since last few days and shifted to Delhi on Friday from a private hospital in Jaipur.

Many senior BJP leaders including former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje visited him in the Jaipur hospital on Friday to inquire about his health.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah and Rajasthan Chief Ashok Gehlot were among the leaders who condoled his death.

"Saddened by the sudden demise of Shri Madan Lal Saini, Member of Rajya Sabha. In his extensive public life as an MP, MLA and State BJP President in Rajasthan, he served with distinction. My profound condolences to bereaved family members and followers. May his soul rest in peace," Naidu tweeted.

"The passing away of Shri Madanlal Saini Ji is a major loss for the BJP family. He contributed to strengthening the Party in Rajasthan. He was widely respected for his congenial nature and community service efforts. My thoughts are with his family and supporters. Om Shanti," Modi said in a tweet.

"Just received the saddening news of Madan Lal Saini's death. Saini, who held several posts in the party was a true public servant whose whole life was devoted to the party and society. He was instrumental in strengthening the BJP in Rajasthan.

"The demise of Madan Lal Saini is an imperfect loss to the BJP family. I express my condolences to the bereaved family in this hour of grief and pray to the Lord for the peace of the departed soul," Amit Shah said in a series of tweets.

"Shocked and saddened to hear about the passing away of Madan Lal Sainiji, President of BJP Rajasthan. My thoughts and prayers are with his family members. May God give them strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace," Gehlot tweeted.

"Big loss to the state with a sudden demise of Madanlal Saini. He represented the ethics of simplicity. My condolence to the bereaved family," Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said in a tweet.

Raje said she was "stunned" at Saini's sudden demise and termed it a "personal loss".

"His demise is not only a loss to the BJP family but a personal loss to me as well. May God rest him in peace and give courage to his family members to face the situation," she said.

Born in 1943 in Sikar, Saini began his politics as a member of the Jan Sangh.

Elected an MLA from Guda (Udaipurwati) in 1990, he contested parliamentary elections for the first time in 1991, but lost by a small margin. He also lost the Lok Sabha in 1998.

The posts he held over the years include General Secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the state General Secretary of BJP Kisaan Morcha, and the chairman of the BJP disciplinary committee.

Elected to the Rajya Sabha last year, he was made state BJP president after incumbent Ashok Parnami stepped down following the party's loss in a series of bypolls.

Known for his simplicity, Saini, after becoming state BJP chief, was seen taking a bus to go to his home town.

In an interviews with IANS, he had said that he woke up at 4 a.m., do household chores like cleaning the house and washing his clothes.