Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Babulal Gaur passed away this morning (August 21) at a private hospital in Bhopal after a prolonged illness.

Gaur, 89, died due to cardiac arrest, Narmada Hospital Director Dr Rajesh Sharma said. He was suffering from various old-age related ailments and was hospitalised for quite some time.

The veteran BJP leader served as Madhya Pradesh chief minister from 2004 to 2005 and represented his traditional Govindpura Assembly seat 10 times.

Born on June 2, 1930 at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Gaur emerged as a powerful and popular leader in Madhya Pradesh initially as a trade union leader and later as an MLA.