TMC MP Sultan Ahmed suffers major cardiac arrest; dies at 64

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed died of a massive heart attack at his residence on Monday morning. He was 64 and is survived by his wife and two sons.

Ahmed, who had been suffering from heart ailment, experienced chest pain around 11 am. He was taken to a private nursing home in South Kolkata where he was declared brought dead.

Condoling his death, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "Shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Sultan Ahmed sitting @AITCOfficial LS MP & my long term colleague. Condolences to his family".

Later, Banerjee said she had heard that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sent a letter to Ahmed when his mortal remains were being carried back home from the nursing home. "He was highly tensed and died prematurely." Earlier, the CBI had interrogated him in connection with Narada sting operation on July 10. Subrata Bakshi, state president of Trinamool Congress, stated that unable to fight it out politically, the Centre had engaged the CBI and in the past nine or 10 months, he was under severe pressure. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said "I knew him for more than 30 years. He was under stress and this death could have been avoided."

Ahmed had joined Chatra Parishad as a student of Maulana Azad College in the 1960s. He became a councillor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in 1985. In 1987, he became an MLA from Entally Assembly constituency. He was one of the founder members of the Trinamool Congress. He was an MP from Uluberia. He joined Youth Congress in 1973 and was District Secretary of Youth Congress from 1978-80.

Ahmed had served as the Union Minister of State for Tourism in the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh government between 2009 and 2012.

A great fan of football, Ahmed was the president of Mohammedan Sporting Club since 2009. Mamata Banerjee, along with Sovan Chatterjee, went to Ahmed's house to pay their last respects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also expressed grief at the passing away of Ahmed.