Senior BJP leader Ram Kapse passed away early this morning after a prolonged illness. He was 82. Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari informed that Kapse, who was ailing for last eight years, breathed his last at his Kalyan residence in adjoining Thane district at around 4 am. His last rites will be performed in Kalyan today.<br/>Kapse, born on December 1, 1933, was a former Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was a prominent leader of BJP in Maharashtra and represented Thane in the 9th and 10th Lok Sabha.