Former state BJP state president Laxman Gilua lost his battle against Covid-19 on Thursday.

After struggling for the last one week, the 56-year-old senior BJP leader and former Singhbhum MP died at Tata Motors Hospital in Jamshedpur at 2.10 am.

An official of the hospital said that Gilua's health continued to deteriorate, even though he was administered remdesivir on April 23.

The news of his death came as a shock to the party. Senior BJP leaders including state party spokesperson Kunal Sarangi rushed to the hospital soon after getting the news.

Emotions ran high when his dead body was taken to his native village Janta at Chakradharpur block of West Singhbhum.

His last rites were performed as per Covid protocols. Gilua’s family members participated in the rituals wearing PPE kits.

Born on December 20, 1964, Gilua was the key leader of the BJP in Kolhan division. He became the BJP block president of Chakradharpur in 1990. He won the Assembly elections in undivided Bihar in 1995 from Chakradharpur and became a member of the Bihar Assembly. Thereafter, he was also elected to the Lok Sabha in 1999 from Singhbhum. In 2014, he was elected MP again from the same seat.

State BJP president Deepak Prakash expressed his condolences.“I deeply mourn the death of the former state president and former MP. His death has created a void in the party. My prayers to God that his soul may rest in peace. His contributions to the party would not be forgotten. Gilua was instrumental in strengthening the party," he said.

Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda expressed grief over the demise of the party's former state president.

"His death has caused irreparable loss to the party," said Munda in a condolence message.