Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau passed away at a New Delhi hospital Monday after she suffered a cardiac arrest at the Jodhpur House guesthouse here, officials said. She was 74.
Rau, a former Maharashtra minister, is survived by two daughters.

She collapsed in the toilet and was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) around 11 a.m., officials said. Doctors pronounced her dead at about 12.30 p.m.

“When she didn’t open the door for a long time, her assistant knocked and found her on the floor. She was rushed to AIIMS at 11 a.m. Doctors declared her dead at 12.30 p.m. She died of cardiac arrest,” said G.N. Bhat, joint director (information) of the Rajasthan government.

Several senior leaders visited AIIMS to pay their tributes.

“Doctors are embalming the body and it will shifted to Jodhpur House at 4 p.m. for people to pay tributes to her,” he said.

According to Bhat, no decision has been taken on the place of cremation.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat expressed grief over the death.

Rau took over as governor Jan 25, 2010, shortly after her predecessor S.K. Singh passed away while in office on Dec 1, 2009. She is the fourth governor of Rajasthan to die in office.

Born on March 4, 1935 in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, she belonged to a family of freedom fighters. She was also the governor of Himachal Pradesh.

A Congress party member, she was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly six times and to the Lok Sabha in 1999.

She was a cabinet minister in Maharashtra for four times, and held the portfolios of revenue and cultural affairs, cooperation and tourism, education, sports and youth affairs.

Rau also held the post of chairperson of the Maharashtra Rifle Association.