Former Rajasthan BJP chief Bhanwar Lal Sharma passes away at 95

"Simplicity and selflessness came naturally to him," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said about Bhanwar Lal Sharma.

A veteran politician and former Rajasthan President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bhanwar Lal Sharma passed away on Friday in Jaipur. He was 95-years-old.

Bhanwar Lal Sharma became a municipal council chairman in 1961 and an MLA for the first time in1977 from the Hawamahel constituency. In 1978, he became a minister in the state government for the first time and held portfolios such as higher education, housing and sports among others. He also held the post of a minister again in 1990.

He was an MLA from 1980 to 1990 and became the BJP President for the state of Rajasthan for the first time in 1986. Bhanwar Lal Sharma was re-elected to the post for the second time in 1989 and for the third time in 2000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole the death of the veteran BJP leader. " His role in strengthening the Party in Rajasthan was extremely valuable," PM Modi wrote in a tweet.

Home Minister Amit Shah also sent out a tweet condoling the death of Bhanwar Lal Sharma.