NEW DELHI: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader DP Tripathi, who was known for his political acumen and wit, passed away after prolonged illness in the city on Thursday. He was 67. The general secretary of the NCP and considered a confidante of party chief Sharad Pawar, Tripathi was battling cancer. Describing Tripathi as a scholar, Pawar said he was a perfect blend of diligence and intelligence.
“A firm voice who took a stand for my party as a spokesperson and general secretary. He has been with us since the establishment of the Nationalist Congress Party and played a very important role at the national level. His demise is a personal loss to me. May his soul rest in peace!” he tweeted. Party MP Supriya Sule said Tripathi was a guide and mentor. “We will miss his counsel and guidance which he had given us from the day the NCP was founded,” she said.
Known in Delhi’s political circles as an erudite personality, Tripathi began his career as a student leader. He was the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) from 1975-77 and was even jailed during the Emergency. Known for his witty one-liners, Tripathi had also served as a NCP spokesperson. When there was a buzz about merging of the NCP with the Congress, Tripathi had said, “We are here to emerge, not merge.” Tributes poured in across party lines.
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted, “Since 1973, when we joined JNU, have discussed and debated the world with him. Always open-minded and pragmatic. Will miss him very much,” he tweeted. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted, “Comrade, fellow student, fellow traveller and much more. From university and right until his last days we spoke, argued, disagreed, and learnt so much together. You will be missed, my friend.”
(With PTI inputs)