Sheila Dikshit, a long-serving politician that served as both the Chief Minister of Delhi and the governor of Kerala passed away at 81 years old due to cardiac arrest.
She was admitted to Fortis Escorts Heart Hospital on Saturday morning (7/20), and according to the official statement given by the hospital, had died despite resuscitative efforts. Mrs. Dikshit has been frequenting hospitals to nearly 20 years, undergoing treatments from doctors and nurses who have come to know her well.
Despite this, she was still in great condition, with her last check-up the week before, showing no worrying conditions or issues. Her condition did not worsen until Friday night, where she reported experiencing breathlessness and a faster heartbeat. Those who worked in the hospital have expressed their shock to her passing, especially her doctor who have been seeing her for 20 years.
Many officials and lawmakers in India have offered their condolences to her passing, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress Party Leader Rahul Gandhi, commending her aptitude and commitment in serving as Chief Minister of Delhi for three consecutive terms.
In addition to words of condolences, they also paid tribute by visiting her residence. Other than Mr. Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and current Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have paid homage to her.
Her political careers were filled with various achievements. Other than being the Chief Minister of Delhi for three consecutive terms from 1998-2003, she also served as the governor of the South Indian state of Kerala. She was also nominated as a congress candidate in the upcoming election but wasn’t able to achieve the position due to her losing the seat for North East Delhi.
Photo Credit: No machine-readable author provided. Gryffindor assumed (based on copyright claims). [CC BY-SA 2.5]
