Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy passes away at 64; PM, CM Mukul Sangma pay tributes

New Delhi, July 28: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Donkupar Roy, passed away in a hospital in Haryana's Gurugram, this afternoon. He was 64-years-old. On July 28, Roy took his last breath at about 2:50 PM.

Roy, a former chief minister of the state, was first admitted to a state-run hospital in Shillong before being referred to the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, Haryana, where he was undergoing treatment for the last 10 days, his family members said.

His condition deteriorated after suffering multi-organ failure on Sunday afternoon, they said.

He was the head of the United Democratic Party, a political party recognised in Meghalaya.

After a fractured mandate in Meghalaya's 2008 Assembly Elections, an alliance between his UDP and a handful of other parties stated claim to form the government under the banner of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance, with Roy as Chief Minister.

After D. D. Lapang resigned as Chief Minister because he did not hold a majority in the state legislature, Roy was sworn in as Chief Minister on March 19, 2008.

On March 19, 2009, exactly one year into his term, the government was dismissed and the state was put under President's Rule. In May 2009, the United Democratic Party left the Progressive Alliance, and D.D. Lapang of the Congress Party returned to power as chief minister.

Under Conrad Sangma government, he was the speaker of the assembly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed anguish over Roy's demise, saying he "transformed many lives". "Anguished by the demise of Dr Donkupar Roy, Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly and former CM of the state. Passionate about Meghalaya's progress, he served the state with great diligence and helped transform many lives," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted quoting Modi.

Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K Sangma too expressed grief over Roy's passing away.

"Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Speaker of Meghalaya Assembly Dr Donkupar Roy. We have lost a leader, a mentor, who had dedicated his life for the service of the people. May Almighty provide strength to his family in this hour of grief. May his soul RIP," he tweeted.