Calcutta, Aug. 8: Ten-time Congress legislator Gyan Singh Sohanpal died today at SSKM hospital in Calcutta. He was 92.

Fondly called chacha (uncle) by colleagues and constituents, Sohanpal had been admitted to the ICU of SSKM hospital on July 31 because of old-age related complications. He passed away at 3.50pm today after a multi-organ failure, a hospital official said.

Sohanpal served as small industries and jail minister in the cabinet of former Bengal chief minister Ajoy Mukherjee in 1969 and as transport, jail and parliamentary affairs minister in the Siddhartha Shankar Ray government in 1972. He contested his first election in 1962.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee condoled his death.

"Saddened at the passing of Gyan Singh Sohan Pal ji. We have lost a veteran legislator. My condolences to his family and friends.... Tomorrow, the government will give his mortal remains a gun salute," she tweeted.

Sohanpal, who enjoyed immense respect among politicians across party lines, suffered his first electoral defeat in the Assembly polls last year. He lost to the BJP's Dilip Ghosh from Kharagpur Sadar.

"I am deep in grief. I enjoyed a very good rapport with him and never tried to say a single word against him throughout my political career," Ghosh said.

CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said: "Deep condolences to his family members. I knew him since the 70s, when he was a minister. We are from the same district."

Congress MLA Abdul Mannan rushed from New Delhi to Calcutta after learning about Sohanpal's death and went to Kharagpur with the mortal remains of the veteran politician.