Keshari Nath Tripathi, who has served as governor of West Bengal, Bihar and two other states, died at his Prayagraj home in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Tripathi, a senior leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party, was 88.
The veteran politician, who was a three-time speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, was hospitalised for a fractured hand as well as a respiratory condition, a party leader said.
'Tripathiji was in the ICU for a short while and his condition has improved following which he was brought home. Today at around 5 a.m. he breathed his last,' the official told PTI over the phone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his sorrow and described Tripathi as the key man in building the party in UP.
'Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi Ji was respected for his service and intellect. He was well versed in Constitutional matters. He played a key role in building BJP in UP and worked hard for the state's progress. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,' Modi tweeted.
Born on Nov. 10, 1934, in Allahabad, Tripathi served as the Governor of West Bengal from July 2014 to July 2019. Before that, he also had additional charges for short stints as the Governor of Bihar, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
He was a member of the UP legislative assembly six times and was the Cabinet minister of institutional finance and sales tax in the state during the Janata Party regime from 1977 to 1979.
A poet and author, Tripathi had practised as a senior advocate at Allahabad High Court and was the BJP president in UP for some time.
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