India, Jan. 7 -- Former union minister Kabindra Purkayastha, who played a key role in establishing the Bharatiya Janata Party's presence in Asssam, passed away on Wednesday after prolonged illness. He was 95

According to his family members, Purkayastha breathed his last on Wednesday evening at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), where he had been undergoing treatment since December 23.

SMCH principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta said the veteran leader had been under intensive care and on ventilation. "He passed away this evening following multiple complications," he said. Doctors said the veteran politician had been suffering from age-related ailments with kidney and cardiac complications.

Purkayastha was born in Kamarkhal village in...