Home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted his condolences and said he was a grassroots leader and known for his concern for poor people and farmers.
"Mundeji's death is an irreparable loss to the BJP and he has left a big void in Mahrashtra's political and social life," Singh posted.
Leaders cutting across party lines also expressed shock and offered their condolence to the minister's family.
"V sad to hear the demise of Sh Gopinath Munde. Heartfelt condolence to bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace," Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.
"Shocking news of demise of Gopinath Munde at his political peak. Sincere condolences to Munde family, BJP & his Government colleagues," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor posted on Twitter.
Modi called a cabinet meeting to mourn the death of Munde, whose body was to be flown to Maharashtra for a funeral on Wednesday.
From 1995 to 1999, Munde was deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. He was twice elected to the Lok Sabha, in 2009 and again last month in the landslide general election victory of the BJP.
He had served as the party's deputy leader in Parliament and was being considered as a potential chief minister of Maharashtra, where the BJP is hoping to oust its Congress rival in elections for a new assembly later this year.
Maharashtra, along with neighbouring Gujarat, Modi's home state, is one of India's engines of growth on the west coast, and was vital to his plans to restore momentum to the economy.
"It is a big blow for us," Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, a party colleague from Maharashtra, told reporters.
As a leader of a backward community, Munde had helped the party expand its base in rural areas and among low-ranking castes, especially in the state's central region of Marathwada.
The rural development ministry is also charged with administering a land acquisition law adopted by the previous Congress government, and which has drawn mixed reactions.
While activists hailed its provision of securing upto 80% approval from the owners of land targeted for acquisition, Indian business fears the procedures will swell costs and delay investment projects.
Munde defended the law in his first comments after taking office, saying it was not aimed at industrialists.
As mark of respect to Munde, the government has also decided that the National Flag will be flown half mast in Delhi and all capitals of states and Union Territories.
Earlier, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters Munde was on his way to the airport when the accident happened at around 6:30am. Munde, a diabetic patient, fell down from the car and asked to be taken to a hospital when his security guard helped him, Gadkari said.
Munde's body was taken to Mumbai by a special aircraft later in the evening on Tuesday. His last rites will be held in his native village of Parali-Vaijnath in Maharashtra on Wednesday.
Thousands of mourners, including senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, activists and common people received the casket containing the body at the Mumbai airport where security forces accorded a guard of honour.
It was taken in a motorcade to the Munde family residence at the Purna building in Worli for relatives, friends and close acquaintances to pay their last respects to the departed leader.
Senior leaders such as Vinod Tawde, Kirit Somaiya, Ramdas Athawale, Raj Purohit, Munde's daughter Pankaja Munde-Palve and others accompanied the body.
Ironically, it was the same building where Munde's brother-in-law and former BJP strongman Pramod Mahajan was gunned down by his brother Pravin eight years ago.
All along the route from Santacruz to Worli, hundreds of teary-eyed supporters who waited for several hours in the blazing sun raised slogans of "Gopinath Munde amar rahe".
Subsequently, Munde's body will be kept at the BJP state headquarters at Nariman Point, where party workers will be allowed to pay homage.
At dawn on Wednesday, the body will be taken in a special aircraft to Latur and then to his native village in Parali-Vaijnath, adjoining Beed district, a distance of 65 km from Latur.
Ironically, unaware of the tragedy awaiting him, Munde was scheduled to go to Beed Tuesday to address a series of victory rallies, his first visit to his home district after the BJP-led NDA swept to power last month.
Several thousands of people, including VIPs, top national and state leaders are expected to attend the funeral, the details of which are being finalised.
Among the callers at the Munde residence to offer their last respects were chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, ministers and leaders from various parties.
(With Agency inputs)
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