New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday condoled the death of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh saying he had a "magical connect" with the masses.

Singh (89), breathed his last at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow.

Also Read | Indian Railways Cancels 19 Trains Due to Farmers' Protest in Punjab.

"Kalyan Singh ji had a magical connect with masses. As chief minister of UP, he determinedly pursued clean politics and purged governance of criminals and corruption," the president said in a message on Twitter.

"He dignified the offices he held. His demise leaves a vacuum in public life. My heartfelt condolences," Kovind said.

Also Read | Redmi Note 10S Cosmic Purple Colour Variant Launched In India; Prices & Other Details Here.

A backward caste leader, Singh was instrumental in the BJP's rise to power in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s and was the chief minister of the state when the Babri mosque was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992. PTI SKL

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)