Baliram Kashyap, veteran parliamentarian and the man who prepared saffron ground in the red zone, passed away here in the wee hours today after prolonged illness.
He was 75 and was representing Naxal-infested Bastar Lok Sabha constituency as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member. Kashyap was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and represented the constituency since then for the fourth consecutive term.
Starting his career as school teacher in a remote area of Bastar, Kashyap quit his job to join politics. He was first elected as MLA from Jagdalpur. He later contested election from Bhanpuri assembly segment and never lost election till 1993. He twice served as minister in the erstwhile Madhya Pradesh in 1977 and 1991.
