Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kailash Joshi died at 90

Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Joshi died at a private hospital in Bhopal on Sunday after prolonged illness, a family member said. He was 90.

"He breathed his last at the Bansal Hospital in Bhopal," his son and former state minister Deepak Joshi told PTI.

The former chief minister is survived by three sons and three daughters. His wife died a few months back, a source said.

The last rites will be performed on Monday at his ancestral town Hatpipalya in Dewas district, former BJP MP Alok Sanjar said.

Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached the hospital soon after receiving news of Joshi's death.

Born on July 14, 1929, Kailash Joshi, who was called the "saint of politics", served as the state's chief minister from 1977 to 1978.

He was elected MLA for eight terms and also served as member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.