Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar died early Monday morning in Bengaluru, officials said. Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister, Kumar was not keeping well for some time and was on ventilator for the past few days, ministry officials said. He was 59. He was a BJP MP from the South Bengaluru constituency.
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Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Kumar a remarkable leader. "Extremely saddened by the passing away of my valued colleague and friend, Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. He was a remarkable leader, who entered public life at a young age and went on to serve society with utmost diligence and compassion. He will always be remembered for his good work," he tweeted.
Describing Kumar as an able administrator, the Prime Minister said he was and was a great asset to the BJP. “He worked hard to strengthen the party in Karnataka, particularly in Bengaluru and surrounding areas. He was always accessible to his constituents,” Modi said. “I spoke to his wife, Dr. Tejaswini Ji and expressed condolences on the passing away of Shri Ananth Kumar Ji. My thoughts are with his entire family, friends and supporters in this hour of grief and sadness. Om Shanti,” he said.
A graduate in law, Kumar was suffering from cancer and had come back from the US in October after treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York.
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Kumar is survived by his wife Tejaswini and two daughters Aishwarya and Vijeta. the mortal remains of the Union Minister were taken to his residence early in the morning.
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