Former Union Minister and BJP leader, Dilip Gandhi dies of Covid-19

Ahmednagar, Mar 17: Former Union Minister and BJP leader, Dilip Gandhi passed away at a private hospital in Delhi.He was 69.

Gandhi had tested positive for COVID19 and was under treatment for multiple ailments, the sources said.

Born on 9 May 1951, Dilipkumar Mansukhlal Gandhi was an Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) political party. He was a ex member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India.

Gandhi began his political career by holding key positions in the district organisation of BJP such as General Secretary, Joint Secretary and President. He was elected to the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation as a Councilor and later he became the Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Municipal Council.

In 1985, he became the Vice-President of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation.

In 1999 he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Ahmednagar constituency in Maharashtra state. He was Union Minister of State, Ministry of Shipping from 29 January 2003 to 15 March 2004.

In 2009, he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from the same constituency.

In 2014, he was re-elected with a margin of more than 200,000 votes in 2014 Indian general elections in which BJP had a huge victory across India under leadership of Narendra Modi as PM Candidate.

He was denied ticket in the 2019 general polls.