BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap, battling cancer, passes away at 59

“Pained by the passing away of MLA Laxman Jagtap… He made great contribution for the development of Pune and surrounding areas. Condolences to his family and supporters,” the PM tweeted.

Paying tributes, Shah tweeted, “The passing away of Chinchwad MLA Laxman Jagtap has pained me. Jagtapji made immense contribution in the development of Pune. I offer my condolences to his family and supporters.”

Shinde said, “In Laxman Jagtap’s death, the BJP has lost a loyalist and a strong leader. He created his own space through his hard work and became popular. He always fought for the people and took stands in their favour. He also battled with his illness for a long time. And during this time, he never shirked his responsibility as a public representative. Development of Pimpri-Chinchwad was his priority till the end.”
Jagtap was cremated with full state honours in the evening. Thousands turned up to bid adieu to the leader. Shops, offices, business establishments and educational institutes remained shut in Pimple Gurav, Sangvi, Pimple Saudagar and neighbouring suburbs as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

A long-time resident of Pimple Gurav area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Jagtap had been in and out of the hospital for months now, but he looked determined to come out of his illness. “I have fought many battles in my life and rarely lost any. I will overcome this one too,” Jagtap told this correspondent after he returned home over three months ago from the hospital where he was put on ventilator. During his stay in the hospital, rumours flew thick and fast about his health. However, Jagtap surprised everyone as a video clip of him smiling and waving from his hospital room went viral, much to the relief of his supporters.

A fitness enthusiast — he loved horse riding and walking — Jagtap’s health started deteriorating more than three years back after he was detected with the disease. However, Jagtap continued to attend party meetings and pursued development works in his constituencies, said his close aides.

Jagtap was first elected as PCMC corporator in 1986. He remained a corporator for 20 years. He became the mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad in 2000. He was subsequently elected as standing committee chairman as well. Known for his proximity to Fadnavis, Jagtap was a ministerial candidate from the BJP but his illness kept him out of the Shinde-Fadnavis cabinet.

Jagtap’s popularity as a politician rose after he got elected as an MLC in 2004 despite severe odds. Contesting as an independent, Jagtap defeated the Congress nominee from the Pune local self-government constituency. There was no looking back since as he scaled new heights on the political terrain. He was subsequently elected as MLA from Chinchwad Assembly constituency three times. Once as independent and twice as a BJP candidate.

He started his political career with the Congress but joined the NCP after it came into being in 1999. He was considered the “right hand man” of NCP leader Ajit Pawar “who gave him complete reign of the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body”, said a close aide.

He shifted to the BJP in 2014 and was instrumental in the party coming to power in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for the first time in 2019. Until Jagtap joined the BJP, the party was a non-entity in Pimpri-Chinchwad. It rarely crossed the double-digit mark of corporators in a House of over 100. However, after Jagtap joined the BJP along with NCP leader Mahesh Landge, the power equation changed. In the 2017 elections, the BJP for the first time in over three decades tasted power in the PCMC. Pimpri-Chinchwad, otherwise, had been a bastion of the politically powerful Sharad Pawar family. “Laxman Jagtap was largely responsible for the BJP grabbing power for the first time in the PCMC in more than three decades. He was the man behind the BJP’s rise in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” said Sarang Kamtekar, a BJP leader.

Jagtap managed to get more than 40 sitting corporators of the NCP to the BJP. From less than 10 corporators in 2012, the BJP got close to 80 corporators elected in the 2017 PCMC elections which even surprised its state leadership. The then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave full credit to Jagtap and Landge. He described them as “Ram-Laxman ki jodi”. Though subsequently Jagtap fell ill, he never loosened his grip over the PCMC. “He closely monitored PCMC’s functioning and raised objections whenever he felt things were not being done the right way. He also gave his inputs regularly,” said former BJP corporator Seema Savale. The PCMC was first ruled by the Congress since 1986 and then the Congress and NCP jointly ruled the civic body until the BJP ousted them from power in 2017.

In 2014, Jagtap left the NCP on the issue of illegal constructions. He wanted the then Congress-NCP government to legalise illegal structures across Pimpri-Chinchwad. However, the Congress-NCP government failed to do so. An agitated Jagtap then decided to dump the NCP and join the BJP, which promised to resolve the illegal construction issue.

Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge said Jagtap was a visionary leader who pushed the development agenda hard. “Laxman Jagtap had a lion’s share in Pimpri-Chinchwad’s development. He had foresight. He believed that if development was not carried out in an orderly and disciplined manner, the city would suffer. He, therefore, got his plans implemented keeping the future needs of the industrial city. And today, a major part of Pimpri-Chinchwad has developed in an eye-catching manner,” said Landge.

Landge said Jagtap’s relentless efforts to get illegal constructions regularised will finally see the light of the day. “Last week, the government in the state Assembly promised to waive penalty tax and regularise constructions. These demands topped his agenda and will now become a reality,” said Landge.

Jagtap nursed his Chinchwad constituency like his own child. In the last 15-20 years, Pimpri-Chinchwad acquired a new look as it witnessed rapid development with highrise buildings, bridges, flyovers, grade separators and other projects coming up. The major chunk of development happened in Pimple Gurav, Pimple Saudagar, Sangvi, Rahatni, Wakad, Kalewadi and nearby areas, which were part of Chinchwad constituency represented by Jagtap. Wide and pothole-free roads are the hallmark of development in these areas. Gardens, grounds, swimming pools, flyovers dot the length and breadth of these suburbs. “Credit for this should go to Laxman Jagtap. He was instrumental in ushering the rapid development of suburbs like Pimple Gurav, Pimple Saudagar, Wakad and others. He was forceful and persuasive. If he initiated a project, he ensured that it was completed in a set deadline. He believed in disciplined and orderly functioning,” said NCP corporator Yogesh Behl, who is also a former mayor.

Though Jagtap later joined the BJP, his friendship with Behl remained intact. “I never interfered with his work nor did he ever create impediments in my way. We always remained good friends,” said Behl.

Paying tributes, Maval MP Shrirang Barne, with whom Jagtap had political differences, said, “We were political rivals but I cannot deny the fact that Jagtap had a big role to play in Pimpri-Chinchwad’s development. He worked for the common man. He was battling cancer for a long time. We thought he would come out of it as he was known for his fighting spirit. But that was not to be. Pimpri-Chinchwad has lost a leader who worked relentlessly for its development.”