dies; Leaders pay homage(Eds: With additional information)New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Former union minister PriyaRanjan Dasmunsi, once a key Congress leader from West Bengal,died here today after a prolonged illness.
He was 72.
Dasmunsi, who had been in a coma since 2008 after hesuffered a stroke, died at the Apollo Hospital here.
"He had been critically ill over the past one month andsuccumbed to the illness at 12.10 pm. His family membersincluding wife Deepa Dasmunsi and their son were at hisbedside at that time," a hospital spokesperson said.
A five-time MP from Raiganj in West Bengal, Dasmunsiheaded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) when he wastaken ill in 2008 and had been in hospital ever since.
The former president of the Indian Youth Congress and theWest Bengal Congress -- Priya-da to most supporters-- held thekey ministries of information and broadcasting andparliamentary affairs in the UPA-I government led by ManmohanSingh.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modiand Congress president Sonia Gandhi condoled the death of theformer minister.
"Sad to hear about the demise of former Union Ministerand veteran political leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi. Hecontributed much to Bengal and to the administration offootball in our country," President Kovind said.
Prime Minister Modi described him as a popular leaderwith rich political and administrative experience.
"He did notable work to popularise football in India.
Saddened by his demise. My thoughts are with Deepa Dasmunsi jiand family as well as his supporters," Modi tweeted.
Born on November 13, 1945, in Chirirbander in DinajpurEast district, now in Bangladesh, Dasmunsi became thepresident of the state Youth Congress and a member of the AllIndia Congress Committee (AICC) in 1970 at the young age of25.
He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971, when hewas barely 26, and became the president of the Indian YouthCongress the same year under the charge of Indira Gandhi.
The West Bengal Congress leader was elected a member ofthe all-powerful Congress Working Committee in 1977 and wasthe Union minister of state for commerce from 1985 to 1989.
He was also the West Bengal Congress chief in 1985.
Dasmunsi became the Union Cabinet minister for waterresources in May 2004 and the minister of information andbroadcasting and parliamentary affairs in November 2005.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in her message, termedhis death an "irreparable loss" to the party.
Describing Dasmunsi as a "devout" political activist and"one of the tallest" leaders of West Bengal, she said heserved the party and government illustriously.
"His immense work at the grassroots would be rememberedfor posterity," Gandhi said.
Despite his prolonged illness, he remained popular amonghis people, she said, adding, "His death is an irreparableloss to the Congress party and the country."Gandhi expressed solidarity with the family, particularlyhis wife Deepa, a former minister, and other supporters.
Top Congress leaders including former prime ministerSingh, party chief Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi paidhomage to the former minister after Dasmunsi's body wasbrought to the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road here.
Deepa Dasmunsi said the body would be taken to Kolkataand then to Raiganj, his home-town.
The Congress vice president described him as a good humanbeing with a brilliant political mind.
"We will miss Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi ji. A brilliantpolitical mind and a good human being. Bengal and the Congressparty have lost a tall leader. Our thoughts are with Deepa jitoday," he tweeted.
A host of other leaders have also condoled the death ofDasmunsi.
"Heard about the sad demise of Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi ji.
My condolences to his loved ones and colleagues," Informationand Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani tweeted.
Her junior minister Rajyavardhan Rathore referred toDasmunsi's "rich legacy" in sports.
"Saddened by the demise of veteran leader Shri PriyaRanjan Dasmunsi. He leaves a rich legacy in the field ofsports, especially football...," he tweeted. PTI PLB/ENM/NAB/SKC/AKVBDS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.