‘Saint of Indian politics’ Kailash Chandra Joshi passes away at 90

Sunder Singh Bhandari, L.K. Advani, Kailash Joshi and Atal Behari Vajpayee at a BJP working committee meeting in New Delhi. (Archive/Express photo by R.K. Dayal)

BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kailash Chandra Joshi passed away at a private hospital in Bhopal on Sunday after prolonged illness. 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, according to PTI.

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 learning about Joshi's death.

Kailash Joshi (BJP) at the Parliament. (Archive/Express Photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)

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.

Joshi served as chief minister for six months in 1997-98 when he was a member of the Janata Party. He represented the Bhopal constituency from 2004 to 2014 in the Lok Sabha.

Joshi represented the Bagli assembly constituency from 1962 till 1998. He also had a brief stint as member of Rajya Sabha from 2000 to 2004.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeks blessings of former CMs Kailash Joshi (left) and Sunderlal Patwa. (file/PTI)