Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the passing of former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday after a prolonged illness was the end of an era in Indian politics as "Pranab da's" charm went beyond party lines.

Hemant recalled how JMM, despite being an NDA ally in Jharkhand in 2012, had voted for Mukherjee, who was in fray in the presidential election as a UPA candidate.

“I was the deputy CM in the Jharkhand government which was formed in alliance with BJP. The late P.A. Sangma was the NDA’s candidate. One day, Guruji (JMM supremo Shibu Soren) asked me why Pranab da had not come to the state to seek our support when Sangma was touring the country, including Jharkhand, to secure votes. I replied that since he was a UPA candidate and we are in NDA, he isn’t expecting our support. Guruji then directed me to send him a message of our support.”

“Humbled, Pranab da personally phoned me to express his gratitude, promising to come and meet Guruji in person. That’s how his persona and charm was... it went beyond political boundaries,” recalled Hemant.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee being felicitated by chairman of the board of governors of ISM-Dhanbad P.K. Lahiri during the institute's 36th annual convocation on 10th May, 2014. Gautam Dey

BJP veteran and former chief minister Raghubar Das recalled the time when Mukherjee came to Ranchi as President to lay the foundation stone for the construction of Rabindra Bhavan, asserting that the time spent with him remains one of the best in his political career.

Other leaders, including those of Congress and AJSU-Party, also offered their condolences to the former president, who had visited Jharkhand a few times, twice to Santhal Parganas when he was First Citizen of the country.

State Congress president Rameshwar Oraon said, “Not just the entire Congress party but the nation is shocked by his demise. He was an astute politician, a great economist and a humble human being. He was an encyclopedia of parliamentary history.”