Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde died on Tuesday after a road collision in New Delhi, depriving Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a key ally just eight days after coming to office with a mandate to revitalise a stalled economy.

India's roads are among the most dangerous in the world, and the capital, New Delhi, ranks near the top of cities that account for the most fatalities.

Munde, 64, was on his way to the airport for a victory rally in his home state of Maharashtra, when his sedan was hit by a car. He died later in hospital.

"My tributes to a dynamic leader whose premature demise leaves a void hard to fill," Modi said in a tweet, amid a flurry of tributes from allies and political opponents. "Condolences to Munde's family. We stand by them in this hour of grief."

Modi had entrusted to Munde the crucial task of spearheading his government's battle on poverty in the countryside, home to more than half of India's population of 1.2 billion, but which contributes just 14 percent of gross domestic product in Asia's third-largest economy.



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