Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former minister Devisingh Patel died of a heart attack on Monday morning, said state BJP executive member Om Soni. Patel was the BJP candidate from Rajpur Assembly seat in Barwani district, PTI reported.

Assembly elections in the state will be held on November 28.

Patel, 68, had suffered a heart attack earlier as well, but had recovered. Soni said that Patel complained of uneasiness on Monday morning and was taken to the district hospital, where he died during treatment.

The BJP, in its first list of candidates released last week, had nominated Patel from Rajpur, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

Patel won three consecutive Assembly elections, in 1998, 2003, and 2008, from Rajpur. In 2013, he lost to Congress candidate Bala Bachchan. Patel served as a minister of state under former Chief Minister Uma Bharti.

Patel’s last rites will be performed at his native village Bandarkachh in Barwani.