Former Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik died on Saturday, party officials told PTI. The former Rajya Sabha MP suffered a heart attack.

“It is a shocking news for us,” said Goa Congress leader Girish Raya Chodankar. “We have lost a guide in the form of him. He had mentored so many youths and inspired them to join Congress party. It is a big loss for us.”

Considered a party loyalist, the 72-year-old leader was elected member of Lok Sabha in 1984. He represented Goa in Rajya Sabha for two terms – 2005-2011 and 2011-2017.

Naik joined the Congress in 1967, and was instrumental in the passage of the Statehood Bill that led to Goa becoming a state in May 1987. He took over as the Goa Congress chief in July 2017. He resigned from the post in March, saying he was inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s speech that called for young leaders to take over. Naik was replaced by Chodankar.