Ravi Naik, 79, former CM of Goa, died after cardiac arrest in Ponda.
Served as CM twice and was a seven-time MLA across MGP, Congress, and BJP.
PM Modi and CM Sawant paid tributes, calling him a dedicated public servant.
Ravi Naik, the former chief minister and minister of agriculture for Goa, passed away on Wednesday following a heart attack.
According to PTI, Naik, 79, went into cardiac arrest in his birthplace, which is 30 kilometres from Panaji. After being taken to a private hospital in Ponda town, he was pronounced dead around one in the morning.
His wife, two kids, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren survive him. The final ceremonies would take place on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Thousands of people gathered to honour the leader at his home in Khadpabandh, Ponda, where his lifeless remains were taken.
Paying tributes to Naik, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said his leadership, humility and contribution to the public welfare will always be remembered.
“Deeply saddened by the demise of our senior leader and Cabinet Minister Shri Ravi Naik Ji. A stalwart of Goan politics, his decades of dedicated service as Chief Minister and Minister across key portfolios have left an indelible mark on the state’s Governance and people.”
“His leadership, humility and contribution to public welfare will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti," Sawant wrote on X.
Naik served as a candidate for the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Congress, and the BJP, and was elected as an MLA seven times (six times from the Ponda assembly constituency and once from the Marcaim assembly constituency).
On an MGP ticket, he was elected to the state legislative assembly for the first time in 1984 from the Ponda constituency. He also successfully ran for the party's seat in the Marcaim assembly constituency in 1989.
On the Congress ticket, Naik was elected repeatedly from the Ponda assembly constituency in 1999, 2002, 2007, and 2017, and again on the BJP ticket in 2022.
Naik served as the coastal state's chief minister twice. The first time, from January 1991 until May 1993, he led a Progressive Democratic Front coalition government.
He became Goa's chief minister with the shortest tenure in 1994. From April 2 to April 8 of that year, he was in office for a mere six days.
As a Congress candidate, Naik also served as a member of parliament from North Goa in 1998.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of Goa Minister Ravi Naik and said that he will be remembered as an "experienced administrator".
"Saddened by the passing away of Shri Ravi Naik Ji, Minister in the Goa Government. He will be remembered as an experienced administrator and dedicated public servant who enriched Goa's development trajectory," Modi said in a post on X.
"He was particularly passionate about empowering the downtrodden and marginalised. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," the Prime Minister said.
With PTI inputs.
