Former Union minister and socialist leader Sharad Yadav died on Thursday night at 75 years of age.

Yadav, who had been unwell for a long time, collapsed at his home on Thursday. He was taken to the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram in an unconscious and unresponsive state, NDTV reported.

The hospital said that the 75-year-old did not have a pulse or recordable blood pressure and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. “Despite best efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 10.19 pm,” it added.

The former Union minister’s daughter Subhashini Yadav confirmed the news of his death on Facebook. She said that her father’s body will be kept at his Delhi home to allow people to pay their respects from 10 am on Friday.

The veteran politician’s last rites will be held at his ancestral village in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, political leaders from across party lines expressed condolences to Sharad Yadav’s family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was pained to hear about his death.

“In his long years in public life, he distinguished himself as MP and minister,” he said. “He was greatly inspired by [socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia’s] ideals. I will always cherish our interactions.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the former MP’s contribution to the country will always be remembered. “Sharad Yadav ji was a proponent of socialism, and was a very humble person,” he said. “I have learnt a lot from him.”

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that he was shocked and pained to hear about Yadav’s death. “He was a strong socialist leader,” he said. “His death has caused an irreparable loss to the social and political fields.”

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also expressed grief. “He always worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden, will always be remembered as a politician who stood by his strong political principles,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Azad Samaj Party leader Chandra Shekhar Aazad called Yadav a pioneer of social justice. “His sudden departure is an irreparable loss to the Dalit and backward communities,” Aazad said. “My thoughts are with the family members in this hour of grief.”

Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences to Yadav’s family.

“I bear a heavy heart upon hearing about Shri Sharad Yadav’s demise,” the Trinamool Congress leader said. “A stalwart politician and an immensely respected colleague, his legacy shall live on. I pray that his family and followers find solace and strength in this hour of grief.”

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan remembered Yadav as an “icon of socialist politics who stood firm for democratic values.” The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said that his passing was a great loss to Indian politics.

Yadav had won the Lok Sabha election for the first time from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh in 1974. After the Janata Party split in 1979, he joined the faction led by former Prime Minister Charan Singh.

Yadav served as a minister in governments led by VP Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was among the founding members of the Janata Dal (United) in 2003.

The former MP played a key role in forming the Grand Alliance of the JD(U), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress in 2015. The alliance came to power in the Bihar Assembly election that year but lost power after Kumar allied with the BJP in 2017.

In 2018, Yadav left the JD(U) and formed his own party, the Loktantrik Janata Dal. On May 20, he announced the merger of his party with Lalu Prasad Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal.