Veteran BJP Leader Kabindra Purkayastha Dies at 94; Assam CM Pays Tribute

Guwahati: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kabindra Purkayastha, known as one of the pioneers of right-wing politics in the Northeast, passed away on Tuesday at Silchar Medical College and Hospital at the age of 94.

He had been on ventilator support and was under the care of specialist doctors for several days.

Fondly known as the patriarch of the Assam BJP, Purkayastha was among the founding figures who helped establish the party’s ideological and organisational base in the region.

Even after stepping away from active politics, Purkayastha continued to command immense respect within the party, with senior leaders and ministers frequently seeking his guidance.

Born on December 15, 1931, Kabindra Purkayastha was a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Assam and a former Union Minister of State. He served as Minister of State for Communications in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government between 1998 and 1999.

Over a long political career, Purkayastha earned wide respect for his role in shaping the party’s growth in Assam and for his contributions to public life at both the state and national levels.

The death of the veteran BJP leader drew widespread tributes from party leaders and the state leadership.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep grief over the veteran leader’s demise, describing him as an inspiration and an institution in himself.

In a condolence message, Sarma said Purkayastha played a pivotal role in laying the foundation of the BJP in the region and consistently championed the interests of Assam and the Northeast, from his early days as a pracharak to his tenure as a Union minister.

"Deeply pained by the passing away of veteran leader, former Union Minister and an inspiration for us all, Shriman Kabindra Purkayastha. A prolific intellectual, a committed karyakarta - he was an institution in himself, someone who laid the foundation of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the region and helped it grow as Assam's preferred political party," Sarma wrote on X.

The Chief Minister further said Purkayastha’s politics were rooted in values, simplicity and service, adding that his legacy would be remembered not merely for the positions he held, but for his lifelong commitment to public welfare.

"His legacy though cannot be measured merely by the offices or positions he held, but by how he always espoused Sewa Bhav through his actions," Sarma added.

Sarma also extended his condolences to Purkayastha’s family and said the leader’s passing had left a void in Assam’s political life.

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