Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Gurudas Kamat passed away in a private hospital in New Delhi following a massive heart attack on Wednesday. He was 63.
Kamat is survived by his wife Maharookh and son Sunil, said a close family friend.
According to the friend, while having his morning tea at his New Delhi home, Kamat suddenly complained of severe chest pain. He called out to his driver who rushed him to Primus Hospital in Chanakyapuri where he is said to have succumbed within minutes.
Close aides Dharmesh Vyas and Ketan Shah in Mumbai said they could not believe the news and felt as if "they had lost their elder brother and guiding light". The youthful face of the party, Kamat, a five-time MP from Mumbai North-East Lok Sabha constituency, served as Union Minister of State for Home from 2009 to 2011.
He was later appointed as the general secretary but suddenly quit all posts last year, though he remained a staunch Congressman.
In a condolence message, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, "a very dynamic and renowned face of the Congress and a great leader Gurudas Kamat is no more".
On Tuesday, Kamat had tweeted his Bakri Eid greetings saying: "Eid Mubarak to all my friends celebrating Eid-Al-Adha. May all your prayers be accepted. May peace, joy and happiness never depart from your lives and homes."
