New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday described former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj as a superb orator, great parliamentarian and a lady of “extraordinary gifts”.
In her condolence letter to Swaraj’s husband, Swaraj Kaushal, Gandhi said she shared a warm personal relationship with the senior BJP leader after being together as colleagues in the Lok Sabha for many years.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing away of your beloved wife Sushma Swaraj,” the Congress parliamentary party leader said. “Sushma Swaraj was a lady of extraordinary gifts, her courage, determination, dedication and ability manifest in every position she held.”
“Above all, it was her warm personal qualities that brought a special lustre to her years in public and political life,” the United Progressive Alliance chairperson added.
Swaraj had contested against Gandhi in 1999 from the Bellari Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, but lost by over 50,000 votes in the electoral fight that attracted nationwide attention. “In our many years together as colleagues in the Lok Sabha, we developed a warm personal relationship and I feel her loss greatly,” she added.
