Former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj passed away late Tuesday at Delhi's AIIMS after she had suffered a massive cardiac arrest. The 67-year-old leader had not contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons.
Sushma Swaraj had entered into politics in 1977 as a member of the Janata Party and was elected to the Haryana Assembly. She was one of the senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She was the leader of opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha.
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Interestingly in 2014, the BJP had won Lok Sabha elections with a huge vote margin and the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was elected as India's new Prime Minister. Since then, 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi' to 'Modi hai to Mumkin' are some of the slogans that are raised at the highest. And somehow, it happened because of Sushma Swaraj.
As everyone knows, BJP senior leader LK Advani was said to be a prime ministerial candidate. But, among other BJP leaders, it was Sushma Swaraj (leader of the opposition) who proposed Narendra Modi's name for Prime Minister post.
Swaraj, believed to be close aid of LK Advani, had reportedly favoured announcement of Modi's name for PM post.
"Typically, the leader of the opposition is viewed as the PM-in-waiting. But I am proud to declare that Sushma Swaraj showed a kind heart typical of a mother and proposed Modi's name as the party's prime ministerial nominee," Kailash Vijaywargia had said in October 2013.
Former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj breathed her last on August 6. She had undergone a kidney transplant in December 2016.
Sushma Swaraj is survived by her husband Swaraj Kaushal and daughter Bansuri Swaraj. Her mortal remains were kept at the BJP headquarters for 3 hours on Wednesday, where party workers and leaders paid tributes to the former Union Minister. The last rites of Sushma Swaraj were performed at the Lodhi crematorium at 3 pm today.
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Watch: Sushma Swaraj's election rally in Bellary in August 1999
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