NCP leader Vasant Chavan dies of heart attack

Mumbai, July 11 (UNI) Senior NCP leader and Rajya Sabha member Vasant Chavan died of severe heart attack at the MLA guest house here today.

Mr Chavan was 65.

NCP General Secretary Gurunath Kulkarni said, ''Mr Chavan died in his sleep. His body has been sent to JJ Hospital for post mortem. The body will be brought to NCP office at Nariman Point at about 1400 hrs and later in the evening it will be taken to his hometown in Pune. The funeral will take place today itself.'' Mr Kulkarni said Chavan was in-charge of the party's organisational elections and he was in the city for the past two days in this regard. ''Till last night, Mr Chavan was with all of us in his room at the majestic MLA guest house discussing the organisational election process,'' Mr Kulkarni added.

He was a minister in the first Congress-NCP government in 1999. A Sanskrit scholar, Mr Chavan was also an MLA for one term from Pune and MLC for 18 years.

He was nominated to Rajya Sabha (RS) after his predecessor Sanjay Nirupam quit the Shiv Sena. He was again re-elected for the second term recently.

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