Sharma, a veteran Congress leader, passed away in Jaipur yesterday at the age of 87 after a prolonged illness. He was born in Dausa district of Rajasthan and had served as the Governor of Gujarat from 2004 to 2009.
"Shri Naval Kishore Sharma added immense stature to the constitutional office he held. I had great regard for him. May his soul rest in peace," Modi said in his tweet.
In his condolence message, Modi termed Sharma as a true Gandhian, "a person who lived a simplistic life and who had truly imbibed the democratic values."
When Modi-led BJP won the 2007 Assembly polls, Sharma, who was the Governor at that time, had administered the oath of office to him as the Chief Minister.
