Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday condoled the death of Union Minister Ananth Kumar, saying he was a "popular leader" who had a "deep attachment" with the masses.

In a statement issued here, Adityanath said, "Ananth Kumar was a popular leader, and had deep attachment with the public. He had effectively discharged his responsibilities pertaining to the organisation and government." 

The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Kumar passed away early Monday morning in Bengaluru.

He was a BJP MP from south Bengaluru constituency.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in a tweet condoled the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader's demise, terming it as an "irreparable loss" for the saffron party.

UP Legislative Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit too condoled the death of the Union minister.

In a tweet, Dixit said, "The demise of Ananth Kumar has left a deep void in the political arena. May God give strength to the family members to bear the irreparable loss." 

Kumar, 59, was suffering from lung cancer and died at a private hospital in the early hours of Monday. He is survived by wife and two daughters.
He (Kumar) breathed his last around 4 am. His wife Tejaswini and his two daughters were with him when he passed away, a party spokesperson told PTI in Bengaluru.

The Union minister had returned from the US in October after treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York.