Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who was admitted at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi, died on Monday evening, his son Abhijit Mukherjee said in a tweet.

Abhijit Mukherjee tweeted: "With a Heavy Heart, this is to inform you that my father Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of Doctors of RR Hospital and prayers ,duas and prarthanas from people throughout India! I thank all of You."

Pranab Mukherjee was hospitalised for the past 21 days and been critical following a brain surgery. The veteran Congress leader was admitted to the hospital at 12.07 p.m. on August 10 in a critical condition after a fall at his residence resulted in a blot clot in the brain. 

Mukherjee’s over four-decade-long political career culminated on a high note in 2012, when he was appointed the 13th President of India, said The Print. 

But the run-up to Mukherjee’s nomination was all but smooth. He was not the first choice of UPA president Sonia Gandhi, who wanted Hamid Ansari for the post. But regional parties including Samajwadi Party managed to prevail. It also went on to show Mukherjee’s popularity across the political divide.

Until the time he became the President, the tag of being a permanent ‘PM-in-waiting’ remained stuck with Mukherjee. He had been the second-in-command to three prime ministers. He has also written about his expectation to be PM in his memoir, The Coalition Years — 1996 – 2012, The Print said in an article.

Mukherjee was a great friend of Bangladesh, and he was greatly admired in that country by leaders across the political spectrum.