Veteran BJP leader, ex-Nagaland Guv Padmanabha Acharya passes away in Mumbai

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, who was the former Governor of Nagaland, passed away here. He was 92.

Popularly known as 'PB', he breathed his last at his home in Andheri west and the funeral shall be performed this evening at the nearby Oshiwara Crematorium.

Born on October 8, 1931 in Udupi (Karnataka), Acharya completed his school and college education there before coming to Mumbai and acquired a law degree from University of Mumbai, subsequently joining a business along with one of his brothers here.

From his student days in Udupi, he was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in various capacities before joining the BJP in 1980.

Later, he was made the Mumbai North-West President, followed by a stint as the BJP National Executive Member and General Secretary in-charge of the northeastern states, where he undertook several social and community projects.

Acharya held several other important positions in the party and in July 2014, was appointed the Governor of Nagaland.

In between on different occasions, he held the additional charge as Governor of Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, for varying periods.

(With inputs from IANS)