Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today condoled the demise of Former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, who passed away at AIIMS-Delhi today.

Expressing his deep grief over the death of senior BJP leader Patnaik took to microblogging site Twitter and wrote:

Deeply saddened to hear about passing away of former Union Minister Arun Jaitley ji. He was a distinguished lawyer, parliamentarian and an erudite person. His contribution to governance has been profound. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and followers.

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 24, 2019

Besides, the leaders cutting across the party lines expressed condolence over departure of Jaitely after the news aired in media.

Worth mentioning, the senior leader in saffron party Arun Jaitely had not contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections due to poor health.