Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal lend shoulders to Swaraj's mortal remains

Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj carried every organisational responsibility bestowed upon her by the BJP for years together with utmost dedication, and as she embarked on her final journey, the party's key officer bearers lent shoulders to her mortal remains.

In a befitting tribute to the stalwart, BJP's working president JP Nadda, Defence Minister and former BJP chief Rajnath Singh, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan gave a shoulder to Swaraj's mortal remains.

An affable leader, an able administrator and an impressive orator -- Sushma Swaraj was one of the most prominent faces of the BJP, who immensely contributed to the party's growth and never shied away from taking challenges.

The 67-year-old accepted tough challenges which helped the BJP break new grounds. She contested the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Bellary in Karnataka against then Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

As a member of BJP, Swaraj grew in the party ranks and became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1990. She had friends across the political spectrum and was held in high regard by leaders of various parties.

Swaraj breathed her last on Tuesday night at AIIMS. She is survived by husband Swaraj Kaushal and a daughter, Bansuri.