Union Power Minister and veteran Parliamentarian P M Sayeed, who carved a niche for himself as a mass politician and administrator, died of heart attack in a Seoul hospital today. The end for 65-year-old Sayeed came at the Hyundai hospital in the South Korean capital where he had been undergoing treatment for enlargement of liver and symptoms of malignancy. This was Sayeed’s third visit to Seoul in the last two months for medical treatment. He is survived by his wife A B Rahmath Sayeed, a son and seven daughters. Widely respected across the political spectrum for his acumen as a Parliamentarian, Sayeed was elected to Lok Sabha from Lakshadweep a record number of nine times, beginning 1971. He had been its member in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999 before his victory march was ended by JD(U)’s Muthu Koya in the 2004 general elections. Sayeed, considered close to the Gandhi family, was one of the most prominent Congress faces to rise from the ranks to hold ministerial posts at the Centre on three occasions. Born on May 10, 1941 at Androth island in Lakshadweep, Sayeed is ironically the second Union Power Minister to have died in harness. P R Kumaramangalam, a former Congressman who moved to the BJP, also died in office. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi expressed deep sorrow and shock over Sayeed’s death. Recalling his long association with Sayeed, the Speaker said his death was a personal loss to him and to the country and his services to the nation are invaluable. BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said the country has lost a good leader. Describing Sayeed as a soft-natured person, Javdekar said the Congress leader was popular and was liked by one and all.
