A former Member of Parliament, a veteran politician of Jyoti Basu era and two-time Bengal Pradesh Congress chief Somen Mitra passed away on Thursday. He was 78 and is survived by his wife Sikha Mitra, a former MLA and son Rohan.

Mitra was suffering from a number of ailments related to heart and kidney.

Mitra who was the sitting PCC president during the time of his death served as the MLA from Kolkata’s Sealdah and Chowrunghee seats for eight consecutive times between 1972 and 2006. He joined the Trinamool Congress in 2009 and was elected an MP from Diamond Harbour Constituency. Subsequently he left the TMC following his altercations with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a number of issues including the chit fund scam.

Tweeting his condolences Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote “All my love and support to family and friends of Somen Mitra at this difficult time. We will remember him with love, fondness and respect.” His sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi too spoke to Mitra’s bereaved wife.

“Saddened to hear about the passing away of veteran leader, former MP and PCC president Somen Mitra...  My deepest condolences to his family, followers and well-wishers,” wrote Mamata Banerjee who left the Congress in 1998 to form her own Trinamool Congress following his differences with Mitra the then PCC president. Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Chowdhury said “I am deeply shocked by his demise. He was not only a  party colleague but my political mentor and a guardian who brought me to Congress and made me what I am today.”

CPI(M) State secretary and politburo member Suryakanto Mishra said “Somen Mitra’s death has cause a political vacuum in Bengal politics,” adding “he has been trying for a joint movement with the Left against divisive and corrupt forces... we will try to carry that forward.”

Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said “Somen Mitra’s death marks the end of an era ... an era which was different from today’s politics.”