President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday condoled the death of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh saying he had a "magical connect" with the masses.
"Kalyan Singh ji had a magical connect with masses. As chief minister of UP, he determinedly pursued clean politics and purged governance of criminals and corruption," the president said in a message on Twitter.
"He dignified the offices he held. His demise leaves a vacuum in public life. My heartfelt condolences," Kovind said.
"Kalyan Singh ji had a magical connect with masses. As chief minister of UP, he determinedly pursued clean politics and purged governance of criminals and corruption," the president said in a message on Twitter.
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"He dignified the offices he held. His demise leaves a vacuum in public life. My heartfelt condolences," Kovind said.
Senior BJP leaders also paid rich tributes to the stalwart with Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh lauding his contributions as an administrator and exponent of the saffron party's ideology.
BJP president J P Nadda said Singh's death marks the end of an era as he showed a new direction to the country's politics.
He never compromised with his ideals and strove for the rights of the poor and deprived sections of society, Nadda said.
Shah hailed him as a fierce nationalist and a great personality who lived in people's heart.
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The home minister said Singh, as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, delivered good governance with his dedication and political acumen and offered people an administration in which there was no fear of crime.
He ushered in reforms in education and made valuable contributions to the nation's development while serving in various capacities, he said.
Singh had also served as governor.
Rajnath Singh said the former UP chief minister was a tall leader of not only the state but country who left his indelible imprint on the society with his personality and work.
The country will remember him for his role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and he also worked hard to connect different sections of society with the BJP, the defence minister said.
Singh (89), who had been ailing for some time, breathed his last on Saturday night.
(With inputs from PTI)
