Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit, Madan Lal Khurana: Delhi Loses Three Former CMs in Less Than a Year

New Delhi, August 7: With Sushma Swaraj's untimely demise on Tuesday, Delhi has has lost three former chief ministers in less than a year. Swaraj, 67, died at the AIIMS in Delhi following cardiac arrest. The death of the BJP stalwart came as a massive shock for the entire nation. The nation mourned the loss of the veteran leader, politicians cutting across party lines offered their condolences and remembered Swaraj. A month after veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit passed away, her political contemporary and former External Affairs Minister breathed her last on August 7.

Swaraj has been the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi, while Dikshit has been the Chief Minister of Delhi three times. Meanwhile, Madan Lal Khurana, who was the chief minister from 1993-96, also passed away in October last year.

Sushma Swaraj

Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was the chief minister of Delhi for a brief period from October-December 1998, died at the at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on August 6 following a cardiac arrest. The veteran BJP leader was brought to AIIMS in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack but soon passed away, the sources said. The 67-year-old leader was critically ill and breathed her last at around 10 pm.

With 13.1 million followers on Twitter, Swaraj was one of the world's most popular woman political leaders on social media. Swaraj was known for her prompt responses to people's problems, especially of Indians living abroad.

Sheila Dikshit

Former Delhi Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit passed away on July 20 following cardiac arrest. She was 81. Dikshit, whose contribution to transforming Delhi was acknowledged by party colleagues and political adversaries alike, has been the Chief Minister for three consecutive terms (1998-2013) and remembered as a 'mother figure', 'banyan tree' and 'iron lady'.

Dikshit, who was the Congress' Delhi unit President, suffered cardiac arrest  after which she was taken to the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in a critical condition. As per experts, her death will impact the Congress' aim of staging a comeback in Delhi, where Assembly elections are due next year.

Madan Lal Khurana

Madan Lal Khurana, who was the chief minister from 1993-96, also passed away on October 27, 2018. He was 82. Khurana was Chief Minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996. Khurana was appointed the Rajasthan Governor in January 2004 but resigned from the post and joined active politics in October that year. The four-time MP also headed the BJP's Delhi unit and was a former national Vice President of the party.

All the three veteran leaders have shaped Delhi's political discourse with their remarkable contributions. Their deaths have caused a significant loss to their respective parties.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2019 10:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).