Ex-MP Bhavna Chikhalia no more

Former MP from Junagadh, Bhavna Chikhalia, passed away in Ahmedabad at the age of 59 on Friday. She was hospitalised following a severe cardiac arrest three days ago.

Chikhalia was chairperson of Gujarat State Housing Finance Corporation, and was in Ahmedabad on June 25 to attend its meeting. She suffered a collapse and was rushed to HCG Medisurge Hospital, where she was operated upon. She was shifted to Sterling Hospital on Thursday evening in a very critical condition with ventilator support and temporary pacemaker. She breathed her last at 10.50 am on Friday.

Cardio-respiratory arrest in a case of acute renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multiple organ failure, were cited as the causes of the former MP’s death.

Chikhalia was elected to the Lok Sabha four consecutive times in 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999, the first Gujarat woman to have achieved this distinction. She served on various parliamentary committees during these years.

She was rewarded with a ministerial berth by the BJP and had had served as minister of state for tourism, culture & parliamentary affairs in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from January 2003 to May 2004. She had lost in the 2004 LS elections, and did not contest in 2009. She had also served in the BJP organization in various capacities over the years.

Governor Dr Kamla, chief minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, Gujarat Parivartan Party leader Gordhan Zadaphia, among others, condoled Chikhalia’s passing away.

Family sources said that her last rites will be performed in Junagadh on Saturday.