Last Updated:
Kabindra Purkayastha, veteran BJP leader and former Union minister, passed away at 94. PM Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma led tributes, praising his role in Assam politics.
Kabindra Purkayastha, veteran BJP leader and former Union minister, passed away at 94. PM Modi and Himanta Biswa Sarma led tributes, praising his role in Assam politics. (Pic: X)
Veteran BJP leader and former Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha passed away on Wednesday due to age-related ailments. He was 94.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes, saying he was “pained by the passing of former MP and Union Minister Shri Kabindra Purkayastha ji.” In a post on X, Modi said Purkayastha’s commitment to public service and his contribution to Assam’s progress would always be remembered, adding that he played a vital role in strengthening the BJP across the state.
Pained by the passing of former MP and Union Minister Shri Kabindra Purkayastha Ji. His commitment to serving society and contribution towards Assam’s progress will always be remembered. He played a vital role in strengthening the BJP across the state. My thoughts are with his… pic.twitter.com/bwXe7c9OMH— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2026
Purkayastha had been admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital a few days ago with age-related complications and was later placed on ventilator support, doctors said.
He is survived by a son and a daughter. His wife predeceased him. His son, Kanad Purkayastha, is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam.
A towering BJP leader from the Barak Valley, Purkayastha served as Union Minister of State for Communications during the first Atal Bihari Vajpayee government between 1998 and 1999. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from the Silchar constituency in 1991 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2009.
Born in 1931 in Kamarkhal in Sylhet, Purkayastha played a key role in building the BJP’s organisational base in southern Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described him as an inspiration and “an institution in himself,” crediting him with laying the foundation of the BJP in the region. Sarma said Purkayastha consistently kept people and their issues at the forefront, from his days as a pracharak to his tenure as a Union minister.
Deeply pained by the passing away of veteran leader, former Union Minister and an inspiration for us all, Shriman Kabindra Purkayastha.A prolific intellectual, a committed karyakarta – he was an institution in himself, someone who laid the foundation of the Bharatiya Janata… pic.twitter.com/lbq2eW6TyO
— biswa sarma (@himantabiswa) January 7, 2026
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also expressed deep grief, calling Purkayastha’s death a personal loss and a major void in Assam’s political life. He described the veteran leader as a guiding light and a father figure.
As a mark of respect, the Assam BJP has suspended all scheduled activities on Thursday.
Assam, India, India
January 07, 2026, 9:03 PM IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
