Ashok Gasti (14 November 1964 – 17 September 2020) was an Indian politician and a lawyer from Raichur, Karnataka. He was a Member of Parliament who represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, for less than 3 months until his death in 2020. He previously served as the former general secretary of the BJP's OBC Cell and[1] served as the chairman of the State Backward Class Development Corporation.[2]
Ashok Gasti | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 26 June 2020 – 17 September 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Prabhakar Kore |
| Succeeded by | K. Narayan |
| Constituency | Karnataka |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 November 1964 |
| Died | (aged 55) Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Education | LL.B. |
Political life
editHe was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He belonged to the Savita Samaj. He also served as party in charge for Bellary district, Koppal district and Raichur district.
His nomination along with Eranna Kadadi to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 came as a surprise from the national leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party as they were never in the limelight. The BJP later said that the party believed in appreciating grass root level workers, hence rewarded them with this opportunity.[3] Gasti had been associated with the BJP from his student days through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and later became involved in the organisational work for the BJP.[4] In 1989 he was made the president of Raichur District Yuva Morcha.
Death
editGasti tested positive for COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in India in September 2020. He was hospitalized at Manipal Hospital and, by 17 September, he was in critical condition with severe pneumonia and multi-organ failure. That same day, senior government officials took to social media to express their condolences for Gasti's death, but the hospital denied this and said the lawmaker remained in critical condition.[5][6] Hours later, the hospital confirmed that Gasti had died at 10:31 p.m. He was 55 years old.[7]
References
edit- ^ "BJP fields Eranna Kadadi, Ashok Gasti as candidates for Rajya Sabha polls". 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Karnataka Rajya Sabha Seats: BJP names Eranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti as party candidates from Karnataka | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India. 8 June 2020.
- ^ "2 BJP leaders file nominations for Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka: Yediyurappa | Politics".
- ^ "Ashok Gasti, Eranna Kadadi are BJP's picks for Rajya Sabha". Bangalore Mirror.
- ^ BJP's Ashok Gasti, 1st-Time Rajya Sabha Member, Critically Ill, Says Hospital
- ^ "Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Gasti remains in critical condition: Hospital". Hindustan Times. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ BJP's Ashok Gasti, 1st-Time Rajya Sabha Member, Dies Due To COVID-19