Bhopal, Jul 26 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and the party's former Madhya Pradesh president, Prabhat Jha, passed away at a hospital in Delhi on Friday. He was 67.

Two weeks ago he was airlifted to Delhi from Bhopal after his health deteriorated all of a sudden.

Jha served as the Madhya Pradesh BJP president and the party's national vice president.

He was popular in the party cadre and knew each worker by name. He was not afraid of speaking his mind and called a spade a spade.

Jha hailed from Sitamarhi in Bihar and established himself in Madhya Pradesh's politics.

The BJP veteran was made the state unit president in 2010. It was the period when the BJP was struggling to strengthen its position in the state. During his two years, Jha restructured the BJP's cadre in the state.

He was also Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh for two times. Jha was a powerful leader in the state BJP unit, though, he was not given any prominent role in the last few years, however, he was actively meeting with party workers.

During the Assembly election in November last year, while interacting with IANS, Jha had said that he never followed the politics of factionalism. He claimed he treated every worker equally, which was the reason they came to him.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, state BJP Chief V. D. Sharma and other party leaders expressed their condolences on the demise of Jha.

"Received very sad news about the demise of respected Shri Prabhat Jha, former state president and senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party Madhya Pradesh. May Baba Mahakal give place to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear the terrible loss. Your important role in the development of Madhya Pradesh will always inspire us. Your demise is an irreparable loss to the political world," he wrote on X in Hindi.