Jammu: Veteran Congress leader and former MP from Jammu Poonch parliamentary constituency, Janak Raj Gupta, passed away this morning at a hospital here.
He was 79 and is survived by his wife Uma Gupta, three daughters Saloni Mahajan, Seetu and Vasundhara and two sons Vicky Mahajan and Sahil Mahajan.
Gupta suffered a cardiac arrest late last night and was admitted to Super Speciality hospital where he breathed his last, family sources said.
Gupta was political advisor to former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He first became a member of the legislative council in 1969 and was elected as an MLA from R S Pura assembly constituency in 1977 and 1983.
The next year, he become a member of the Lok Sabha from Jammu-Poonch constituency. He had contested the seat on a Congress ticket and defeated Dr Karan Singh who had fought as an Independent candidate.
He was re-elected to Parliament from the same constituency in 1989.
Several Congress leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, party's state unit chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir, chief spokesman Ravinder Sharma and other senior leaders conveyed their sympathies to the bereaved family.
Gupta will be cremated tomorrow at Jogi Gate cremation ground.
