RIP Gopinath Munde (1949-2014): Some photos from his life as a beloved mass leader and popular politician

Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde died on Tuesday after a head-on road collision in New Delhi, depriving Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a senior ally just eight days after he took office. Munde was injured while driving to the capital's airport and died later in hospital.Munde, 64, was deputy chief minister in Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999 and elected twice to the Lok Sabha, in 2009 and 2014. He had served as deputy leader of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliament.The position of rural development is a crucial one in Modi's government, which faces a huge challenge to tackle rural poverty. Over half the population lives in the countryside but generates just 14 percent of gross domestic product.These are some snapshots from Munde's life. (Text and image courtesy: Reuters, Getty Images, pib.nic.in)