Nagpur, March 22 Veteran BJP leader Datta Meghe passed away on Sunday evening at the age of 89, his close aide and former Nagpur deputy mayor Raghunath Malikar said.
Meghe is the father of Hingna MLA Sameer Meghe and former MLC Sagar Meghe.
Datta Meghe was a four-time Congress MP from Nagpur, Ramtek and Wardha, and also a Rajya Sabha member between 2002 and 2008. He was part of the Sharad Pawar-led (then undivided) NCP when it was formed in 1999, and served as a state minister.
He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014. He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, and grandchildren.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Meghe was like an elder brother, and the news of his passing was deeply upsetting.
"My heartfelt tribute to him. With the passing of Dattabhau, Vidarbha has suffered a great loss in the political and social spheres. Such a leader with a generous heart and a broad, pure mind will not come again. Dattabhau's contributions to the educational and medical fields in Vidarbha are noteworthy and significant," he said.
From Gadchiroli to Melghat, in the tribal areas, Meghe made significant efforts to improve the health of tribal people through free medical camps, Gadkari said, adding that at Sawangi Meghe, he provided free medical treatment to the poor.
"To provide higher education opportunities to the youth of Vidarbha, he established educational institutions. May God grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to his family and everyone to overcome this grief," the Union Minister said.