Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi dies at age 84

GUWAHATI: Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi died here on Monday while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He was 84 and survived by wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima and son Gaurav, a Lok Sabha member.

Gogoi, a three-time chief minister of the state from 2001 to 2016, breathed his last at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at 5.34 pm, Sarma said.

The doctors conducted an ECG and found that his heart has stopped, following which the GMCH superintendent confirmed that he is no more, he said.

The veteran Congress leader was first admitted to the hospital on August 26 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was released for a brief period before being admitted again on November 2.

His condition deteriorated on November 21, following multi-organ failure and was put on invasive ventilation.

Gogoi was given dialysis on Sunday. His condition deteriorated further over the past few hours and it was stated to be “very very critical”.

Gogoi was the MLA from the Titabor assembly constituency since 2001. He was also a six-time parliamentarian and Union minister twice.

His body will be taken to his residence in Dispur and from there, it will be taken to the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra where people can pay their homage to the leader on Tuesday, said Sarma, a former cabinet colleague of Gogoi.

He will be cremated with full state honours and the venue will be decided in consultation with his family, the minister added.

Source: Press Trust of India