Uttar Pradesh unit president of the Samajwadi Party Ram Saran Das died following a prolonged illness at his native village in Sahranpur district early today.
Das suffered a paralytic stroke about two years ago and had been seriously ill since the past one month, party sources said, adding the leader had been admitted to the AIIMS in Delhi for sometime, party sources said.
The 82-year-old leader, hailing from Allauddinpur village, was a staunch socialist and been associated with the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and his socialist party.
Though he suffered a paralytic stroke, the SP had continued with him as the state president though a working president was appointed to ease the workload.
He had been Sugarcane Minister in the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government and had also been elected to both the Houses of the state legislature.
Party Presdient Mulayam Singh Yadav and senior party leaders condoled the death of Das.
Terming the leader's death an irreparable loss for the party, Yadav said he (Das) was an honest person who never desisted from speaking up his mind.