Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka Ashok Gasti succumbed to coronavirus on Thursday.

The 55-year-old first time Bharatiya Janata Party MP was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after testing positive for COVID-19.

Gasti was a lawyer and former BJP general secretary of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Cell.

According to an Indian Express report, in a statement, Manipal Hospital stated, "Ashok Gasti, Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha, who was admitted Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road on September 2, diagnosed with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, passed away at 10.31 pm".

Dr Manish Rai, Hospital Director explained, "He was critically ill with multi-organ failure on life support system in the Intensive Care Unit under constant observation by our expert panel of doctors".

According to party sources close to the leader, Gasti had developed a fever on August 31 after which he was admitted to Raichur District Hospital. "As his breathing problems aggravated, he was shifted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru on September 2 where he was put on oxygen support when his saturation levels dropped. He was then moved to ventilator support as his health condition worsened in the next few days."