Former foreign minister and Congress veteran Madhavsinh Solanki, who had also served as chief minister of Gujarat, died in Gandhinagar on Saturday morning, Congress leaders said."The death of Madhavsinh Solanki has brought extreme grief. May God give peace to his soul. He had made place in the hearts of people by his actions and deeds," Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda, who is also a relative of Solanki, tweeted. Solanki was a two-term MP of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. He had been the longest serving chief minister of the state before Narendra Modi became CM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Madhavsinh Solanki was a formidable leader who played a key role in Gujarat politics for decades. "Shri Madhavsinh Solanki Ji was a formidable leader, playing a key role in Gujarat politics for decades. He will be remembered for his rich service to society," Modi said in a tweet. "Saddened by his demise. Spoke to his son, Bharat Solanki Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti," he said. "Beyond politics, Shri Madhavsinh Solanki Ji enjoyed reading and was passionate about culture. Whenever I would meet him or speak to him, we would discuss books and he would tell me about a new book he recently read. I will always cherish the interactions we had," PM Modi said. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Saturday condoled the demise of veteran party leader Madhavsinh Solanki and said he will be remembered for his contribution in strengthening the Congress ideology and promoting social justice. Madhavsinh Solanki is known came to power in Gujarat in the 1980s on the KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) formula. Before the 1980 election in Gujarat, Madhavsinh Solanki stitched the KHAM alliance to shift the power balance. He was a lawyer by profession.