Former Pune mayor Shantilal Suratwala, a close aide of Pawar family, passes away

Former Pune mayor Shantilal Suratwala, a close aide of the Pawar family, passed away in the city on Friday morning after a brief illness. He was 76.

Suratwala was the mayor of Pune from 1992 to 1993. He was first elected to the PMC as a corporator in 1979 from the City Post ward and was a member of the elected body till 2007.

Suratwala was very close to NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar and former Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi when both leaders were in the Congress. When Pawar left the Congress, Suratwala followed.

His public life began as a Ganesh mandal worker, and he entered politics through social work and networking. Known as a hardworking leader with patience and a deep understanding of Pune’s civic issues, he took up various development works in his capacity as a corporator and mayor. It was his leadership qualities that led Sharad Pawar to choose him to serve as Pune mayor.