Congress stalwart Shivajirao Deshmukh dies at 84

His last rites will be performed Tuesday at his native Kokrud in Sangli district. He is survived by his wife Sarojini, son Satyajit, who is also a general secretary with the Maharashtra Congress, and daughter Shilpa.

Deshmukh was first nominated to the state’s legislative council in 1996.

Before that, he was elected to the legislative assembly on four occasions. He was elected unopposed as the chairman of the legislative council three times. Ironically, he also became the first person in the state’s history to be voted out as a legislative council chairman after the BJP had won power in the state, in 2015.

Before entering the political arena, Deshmukh served nine years in public service. Earlier as a junior minister in the Congress-led Maharashtra government, he handled several portfolios, namely general administration, home, public relations, transport, agriculture, energy, and food and drug administration.

In his condolence message, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state had lost a seasoned parliamentarian in Deshmukh’s demise. The Chief Minister also recounted various public interest initiatives that were championed by Deshmukh over the years.