Gajanan Raikar, former MLA of Goa first Legislative Assembly, and renowned freedom fighter and popular writer and poet, passed away in Margao in the early hours of Thursday.
Raikar was 27 when he contested the first assembly elections from the Ponda constituency on Praja Socialist Party ticket in 1963 and ended up winning the seat.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed his grief over the demise of Raikar and extended his condolences to the bereaved family.
"Saddened by the demise of Goa's renowned freedom fighter, an avid writer and Former MLA of Ponda, Shri Gajanan Raikar Ji. My thoughts and prayers are with his family in this time of sorrow. Om Shanti,” Sawant tweeted.
Several BJP and Congress leaders and politicians from party lines also posted their condolences on Twitter.