Silchar, 7 January (HS): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister Kabindra Purkayastha passed away here on Wednesday evening. He was 95.

Purkayastha had been unwell for some time and was undergoing treatment at Silchar Medical College, where he breathed his last around 5 pm. The information was shared on X by Silchar MP and Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu.

Soon after the news of his demise, leaders, party workers and well-wishers from various political parties gathered at Silchar Medical College to pay their respects. Assam BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia expressed deep condolence, stating that the passing of Kabindra Purkayastha, regarded as a guiding force for the party, has come as a profound shock to every BJP worker.

Saikia announced that all BJP programmes scheduled for Thursday, January 8, have been cancelled as a mark of respect, and the party flag will be kept at half-mast at party offices. Leaders from other political parties and members of the social sector have also expressed grief over his demise.

Kabindra Purkayastha was born on December 15, 1931, in Kamarkhal of the then Sylhet district, now in Bangladesh. He completed his MA from Gauhati University and began his professional life as a teacher before entering politics. He served as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government.

He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from the Silchar constituency in 1991 and was re-elected in 1998. In 2009, he won the Silchar seat again, defeating senior leaders including Congress veteran Santosh Mohan Dev and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. However, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he was defeated by Congress candidate Sushmita Dev. In recognition of his contributions to public and social life, Purkayastha was conferred with an honorary doctorate in September 2024.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash