Patwa to be cremated on Thursday afternoon

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa's funeral will take place on Thursday afternoon in Madhya Pradesh's Kukdeshwar, where senior party leaders like L.K. Advani and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu will be present.

The body of the former Chief Minister was shifted from Bhopal to Nimach by a special aircraft and was kept in Patwa Academy for people to pay their last respects.

BJP state unit President Nandkumar Singh Chauhan said that Advani and Venkaiah Naidu will reach Kukdeshwar by a special flight. Other union ministers and party members will also come to pay their homage to Patwa.

Patwa died at the age of 92 after suffering a cardiac arrest on Wednesday morning at a Bhopal hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned his death in a tweet and said: "Saddened on the passing away of Sunderlal Patwa. He was a hardworking and dedicated leader whose good work as MP CM will be remembered."

"Sunderlal Patwa strengthened the BJP and was always admired by Karyakartas (workers). My thoughts are with his family. May his soul rest in peace," he added.

Patwa was born on November 11, 1924. He was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh twice, and also served as the Rural Development Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's union cabinet.

--IANS

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