Ex-Union Minister Tapan Sikdar dead

NEW DELHI: BJP leader and former Union minister Tapan Sikdar, who was suffering from kidney problem, died early morning at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

69-year-old Sikdar, a senior BJP leader from West Bengal, had contested the Lok Sabha polls from Dum Dum seat, but lost.

He was an MP from the same seat in 1998 and 1999. He had also served as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004.

Sikdar was a bachelor. The BJP leader, who had been suffering from kidney-related ailment, was airlifted to Delhi four days ago after his condition worsened and was admitted to AIIMS.

"Tapan Sikdar died here early this morning due to chronic renal failure. He was admitted four days ago in the Nephrology department and was in the ICU," an AIIMS spokesperson said.