Gurudas Kamat, Congress Leader and Ex-Union Minister, Dies at 63 After Heart Attack

New Delhi: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Gurudas Kamat died at a private hospital in New Delhi following a heart attack on Wednesday morning.

Kamat, who is survived by his wife Maharookh and son Sunil, was 63.

According to a family friend, Kamat complained of severe chest pain while having his morning tea. He called out to his driver, who rushed him to the 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".

Kamat was a Member of Parliament for the Mumbai North West constituency in 2009 and the Mumbai North East constituency in 1984, 1991, 1998 and 2004. He was Union Minister of State for Home Affairs with an additional charge of the Communications and Information Technology ministry from 2009 to 2011. In July 2011, he resigned as the minister.

He was also a former president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee.

On Tuesday night, Kamat had tweeted Bakri Eid greetings to all 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."

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".

An advocate by profession, Kamat was a Commerce graduate from the RA Podar College in Mumbai and also had a law degree from the Government Law College in Mumbai.

Condoling Kamat’s demise, Congress general secretary and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot termed it an “irreparable loss" for the party. “Shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the sudden demise of Senior Congress leader Sh. Gurudas Kamat ji. His passing away is an irreparable loss for us. My heartfelt condolences to his family members, may god give them strength to bear this loss. May his soul Rest in peace (sic)," Gehlot tweeted.

“Shocked and deeply anguished to learn about the sudden demise of Senior Congress Leader Sh Gurudas Kamat ji. No words are enough to describe the sense of loss. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers. I pray for the departed soul," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

“Shocked and deeply anguished to learn about the sudden demise of Senior Congress Leader Sh Gurudas Kamat ji. No words are enough to describe the sense of loss. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers. I pray for the departed soul," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

Maharashtra Youth Congress leader Satyajeet Tambe Patil termed Kamat’s demise a “personal loss". “Shocked ... My leader Gurudas Kamat is no more . It is my personal loss as well as unrepairable loss of Congress party (sic)," he said.

BJP leader Poonam Mahajan also tweeted to condole Kamat's death.

"Sad to hear about demise of Sri Gurudas Kamat ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," Union minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted.