Bangaru laxman, the first Dalit leader to head the BJP, died on Saturday at the age of 74 due to cardiac arrest.
laxman, who was ailing for some time, suffered a fatal heart attack at a private hospital here this evening. He is survived by his wife, Susheela laxman, who was a BJP MP of the 14th lok Sabha, three daughters and a son.
Bangaru laxman was elected to the Andhra Pradesh legislative Council in 1985, before entering the Rajya Sabha in April 1996. In October 1999, he was inducted into the NDA Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Minister of State for Planning and Programme Implementation and was later appointed MoS in the Railway Ministry.
laxman occupied the top post in the BJP from 2000 to 2001. His promising political career was cut short after he was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a purported arms dealer in a sting operation by Tehelka for pushing a fictitious defence deal for award of a contract for acquisition of thermal binoculors for the Army. He had joined RSS at a tender age of 12 years and worked his way to the top of the party after joining Jan Sangh in 1969.
