Former Union minister and Member of Parliament from Ajmer, Sanwarlal Jat, passed away while undergoing treatment in AIIMS, Delhi, early Wednesday morning. He was 62. “The MP passed away at about 6:30 am in Delhi,” Jat’s aide Naveen confirmed.

Jat had fainted during a meeting of Rajasthan BJP MLAs and MPs with party chief Amit Shah in Jaipur on July 22 during latter’s three day visit to the state. Jat was rushed to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital here and subsequently to AIIMS, Delhi. The party office had witnessed frantic scenes with all top ministers rushing out of party office, including Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, to ensure Jat got timely treatment; Health minister Kali Charan Saraf rushed out and returned with an ambulance, seated inside.

At SMS hospital, doctors had said that he was admitted “in severely critical condition in unconscious state with non-recordable pulse, blood pressure and respiration…he was given two defibrillator shocks to restore his cardiac rhythm.” His condition had remained critical since then.

Jat was elected to Rajasthan Assembly five times between 1990 and May 2014. Between 1993 and 1998, he was Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Rajasthan. Subsequently, he was made a Cabinet minister in Vasundhara Raje government between 2003 and 2008. When Raje was re-elected in 2013, Jat was again given a cabinet ministerial berth by Raje. Subsequently, in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Jat defeated Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who is currently Congress’ state chief.

On November 9, 2014 Jat was inducted in Narendra Modi cabinet as the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation but was subsequently dropped on July 5 last year, presumably due to ill health. He was then appointed as the Chairman of Rajasthan Kisan Aayog. He is survived by wife Narbada Devi, two sons and a daughter.