West Bengal Congress President Somen Mitra died at a hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. He was 78.

A member of Mitra’s family told PTI that he had been hospitalised due to kidney and heart illnesses. Unidentified hospital officials told the news agency that Mitra suffered a cardiac arrest and died around 1.30 am.

The West Bengal Congress posted a tribute to the leader on Twitter. “As we struggle to come to terms with this immense loss, all our prayers and thoughts are with Dada’s family,” the party wrote. “May his soul rest in peace.”

Congress leader and former party chief Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and said that his love and support is with Mitra’s family and friends amid such difficult times. “We will remember him with love, fondness and respect,” Gandhi said.

Mitra played an important role in creating an alliance between the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front during the 2016 Assembly polls in West Bengal and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Mitra was elected the West Bengal Congress President thrice in his career – from 1992-1996, 1996-1998 and then again from September, 2018 till his death. He became a legislator from the Sealdah Assembly seat in 1972 and won elections from the segment six times between 1982 and 2006.

The leader quit the Congress in 2008 and joined the Trinamool Congress the next year. He returned to the Congress in 2014.