Condoling the death of former Bharatiya Janata Party chief Kushabhau Thakre, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said the society has lost a great personality.

He fought for India's independence, and throughout his life toiled to make the country prosperous. He had the ability to win over opponents, which inspired others to follow his footsteps, Vajpayee said.

"I was privileged to be with him for a long time. He always encouraged his colleagues and his behaviour did not change even in jail, which inspired others to carry on with their work. Today, he is not with us but his memory will encourage all his friends to fulfil the work undertaken by him," Vajpayee added.

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Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani described the Thakre as a 'towering leader' and said his death had created a void in the party, which would be difficult to fill.

Thakre, like Deen Dayal Upadhyay, had devoted his entire life for the party's cause, Advani said in a condolence message.

"Thakre's death has created a void in the party which will be difficult to fill," Advani said.

BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu said Thakre's demise was a big loss to the party and country. "Thakre was a real karma yogi, ideal party worker and an inspiration to lakhs of party workers around the country," he said.

Thakre led an ideal and inspiring life and was totally dedicated to the cause of the party ideology and nation, he said.

"His demise is a great personal grief to me. I had worked closely under him as general secretary and earlier as fellow general secretary. Every word and action of his was guidance to me," the party president said.

Even recently when he was seriously ill, he told me that the mission for the assembly election was completed and the greater mission now was Lok Sabha election, Naidu said.

Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra, one of the first to reach the party headquarters upon hearing the news, described Thakre as one of the pillars of the BJP.

"He was simple and a dedicated worker. Though he rose to become the president of the BJP, he never hankered after any post," Malhotra said.

"Thakre was one of the tallest personalities of the party and an inspiration for millions of BJP workers. BJP has become poorer, but the workers will complete the work which he had started," he said.

National BJP vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal said Thakre, during his tenure as party president, was instrumental in spreading the influence of the party in remote areas of the country, especially in the North East, where he toured the interiors extensively.

"He was simple, kind hearted and a great organiser," Khandelwal said recalling that he had worked with him since 1947.

Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik described the former BJP chief as an honest and dedicated party worker.

Thakre was in the forefront of the organisation from his early days of Jan Sangh till BJP became the ruling party at the Centre and many states, Naik said in a statement.

Expressing her grief in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, in a message, said, "The octogenarian leader's contribution in strengthening the party over the years was substantial."

Kalraj Mishra, MP, in-charge of BJP in Uttar Pradesj, said, "Thakre is a person who can't be replaced. The party workers looked up to him. He was their guardian". He described the departed leader as "honest and dedicated to the party."