Zee Media Bureau/Himanshu Kapoor
Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader and former BJP president Bangaru Laxman died on Saturday evening here after prolonged illness.
Laxman, who joined politics at a young age, died at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad. He was the first Dalit BJP president from 2000 to 2001 and a minister of state for railways in Government of India from 1999 to 2000.
Laxman is survived by his wife, Susheela Laxman, who was a BJP MP of the 14th Lok Sabha, three daughters and a son.
The union minister resigned as the party president soon after Tehelka corruption case in 2001. Laxman was caught on camera in the sting operation accepting money in his chamber in the party headquarters from a fake arms dealer for award of a contract for acquisition of thermal binoculors for the Army.
After the sting, he was convicted by a CBI court in 2012 which sentenced him four years of imprisonment. Laxman was out on bail currently.
