Former MP, first Non-Congress chief minister, Kailash Joshi passes away at 90

Bhopal, Nov 24: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Joshi died at a private hospital here on Sunday after prolonged illness, a family member said. He was 90.

"He breathed his last at the Bansal Hospital here," his son and former state minister Deepak Joshi told PTI. The former CM is survived by three sons and three daughters. His wife died a few months back, a source said.

The last rites will be performed on Monday at his ancestral town Hatpipalya in Dewas district, former BJP MP Alok Sanjar said. Senior BJP leader and former state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached the hospital soon after getting information about Joshi's death.

Born on July 14, 1929, Joshi, who was called as the 'saint of politics', served as the state's chief minister from 1977 to 1978. He was MLA for eight terms and also served as member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.