RAIPUR : Chhattisgarh Governor Balram Das Tandon, a founding member of the erstwhile Jan Sangh, died of a cardiac arrest on Tuesday. He was 90.Officials in the Raj Bhavan said Tandon complained of a chest pain in the morning at around 8.30 am. Following a massive cardiac arrest, he was rushed to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital where his condition further deteriorated.Tandon was put on the life support system, and kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). But the veteran leader breathed his last despite best efforts by a team of doctors, the officials added.
Chief Minister Raman Singh went to the hospital on getting the news of Tandon’s illness. “He was the father figure to Jan Sangh, BJP and also to all of us. The people of Chhattisgarh will always remember him.” Tandon had been appointed as the Governor on July 14, 2014.The Chhattisgarh government declared a seven-day state mourning from Tuesday. The occasion of Independence Day would be ceremonially observed on Wednesday but there will be no cultural and award giving event on August 15.
President Ram Nath Kovind gave Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel the additional charge of Chhattisgarh. Patel will discharge the additional duties until the regular arrangements are made, Kovind said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders, including Manohar Lal Khattar and Amarinder Singh, expressed grief over the demise of the Chhattisgarh Governor.Tandon began his political career as a corporator from the Amritsar Municipal Corporation in 1953. He was a six-time MLA and also a deputy CM of Punjab. He served as a Cabinet minister in 1977-79 and later in the Prakash Singh Badal government from 1997-2002.