Brightest sun of Indian politics has set: Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Arun Jaitley's demise

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that the brightest sun of Indian politics has set with the demise of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"The brightest sun of Indian politics has set yesterday. He was BJP's strategist and creator of New India. He was an inspiration for several party workers like me. He was an able administrator along with being a great leader. His demise has created a void which will be impossible to fill in the coming days," Chouhan said.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur also expressed his condolences on the demise of Arun Jaitley.

"Arun Ji's door was open for everyone from all walks of society. He was a great advocate along with being a great person. It is not an end of a leader but the end of an institution. For me, it is a personal loss," he said.

Jaitley passed away in New Delhi at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 66.

A four-time member of Rajya Sabha, he became a Cabinet minister in the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from June 2009 to 2014.

Jaitley was Finance and Corporate Affairs minister in the first term of Modi government and also held portfolios of Defence and Information and Broadcasting.