Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma died of a heart attack on Friday. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till March 8 as a mark of respect, and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House deeply mourned his passing. Sangma, a nine-time Lok Sabha member, served as chief minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and was co-founder of the Nationalist Congress Party. He founded the National People’s Party in January 2013. Sangma is survived by former Member of Parliament Agatha Sangma and Meghalaya’s current Leader of Opposition, Conrad Sangma.

Several leaders mourned his death including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.