Ex-minister Rana dies

Former Union minister and Kashiram Rana, who recently quit the BJP to join Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party, died of cardiac arrest in Ahmedabad Friday morning. He was 74.

His body was taken to his home in Surat, where Chief Minister Narendra Modi paid his respects, spending more than an hour in the company of his political rivals, including Keshubhai, former chief minister Suresh Mehta and Gordhan Zadaphia.

Rana was on an election campaign tour when he experienced severe chest pain at the Circuit House in Ahmedabad. The leader was rushed to hospital, where he passed away at 1.30 am.

Rana, who was textiles minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, was elected to Lok Sabha from Surat for five consecutive terms since 1989.

Sidelined by Modi over the years, Rana recently joined hands with Keshubhai, the former BJP stalwart who has vowed to oust Modi. Rana had addressed his last public meeting at Bhuj on August 29. He was to attend his party's meeting scheduled in Ahmedabad for Friday.

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