Pranab Mukhrjee journeyed from a hamlet in Bengal to the Raisina Hill

India’s former President Pranab Mukherjee, whose public life spanned for more than five decades, died at the Army Research and Referral Hospital here on Monday.

Mukherjee, 84, was admitted to the hospital earlier last month and had undergone surgery for the removal of a clot in his brain.

A Bharat Ratna recipient, Mukherjee leaves behind a rich legacy of old-school politics, countless friends across parties and a diary — the only chronicle of his life from a nondescript village in undivided Bengal to the ultimate edifices of federal power.

His son and former MP Abhijit Mukherjee wrote on Twitter: “With a heavy heart, this is to inform you that my father Shri Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of doctors of RR Hospital & prayers, duas & prarthanas from people throughout India ! I thank all of you.”

Mukherjee held 10 ministerial portfolios, signed historic agreements such as General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Indo-US Nuclear treaty, positioned himself as a trusted support system to at least three Congress presidents and a reliable vice-captain to as many prime ministers. As the country’s first citizen, he had a view of politics at the highest level from Rashtrapati Bhavan and often acted as a conscience keeper of national polity.

His death elicited an outpouring of grief across the political spectrum.

“India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation. A scholar par excellence, a towering statesman, he was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter.

“A colossus in public life, he (Mukherjee) served Mother India with the spirit of a sage. The nation mourns losing one of its worthiest sons.... In his 5 decade long illustrious public life, he remained rooted to the ground irrespective of the exalted offices he held. He endeared himself to people across political spectrum,” President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.

Mukherjee was born in Bengal’s Mirati village on December 11, 1935. His father, Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, took part in the struggle for independence and served in the West Bengal Legislative Council between 1952 and 1964 from Congress.