Dr Devisingh Shekhawat, husband of Pratibha Patil, passes away at 89

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said he was deeply saddened by the demise of the senior Congress leader, who also served as the first Mayor of Amravati

Devisingh Shekhawat was a lecturer in chemistry and married Pratibha Patil on July 7, 1965.

Dr Devisingh Shekhawat, former MLA and husband of India’s first woman President Pratibha Patil, passed away at KEM Hospital in Pune on Friday morning. He was 89. His last rites will be held at 7 pm at Vaikunth crematorium, family members said.

In a statement, KEM Hospital said, “Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat was admitted with a cardiac issue. He recently had a fall resulting in hospitalisation for fracture fixation. During recovery, he had cardiac symptoms and was also diagnosed with a chest infection and was shifted to KEM Hospital. His health deteriorated as he developed kidney complications and he passed away around 9.30 am on February 24.”

A renowned agriculturist and a member of Indian National Congress Party, Shekhawat was an MLA from Amravati constituency in Maharashtra from 1980 to 1990.

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Shekhawat was a lecturer in chemistry and married Pratibha Patil on July 7, 1965. He was awarded a PhD by the University of Mumbai in 1972. Shekhawat was the Principal of a college run by Vidya Bharati Shikshan Sanstha Foundation and was also a former mayor of Amravati (1991-1992).

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He served as First Gentleman of Rajasthan for three years when Pratibha Patil became the governor of the state. In 2007, Shekhawat also became the First Gentleman of India upon his wife’s succession as the first woman President of India for a full five-year term.

Various political leaders offered their condolences on Shekhawat’s death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the loss of Dr Shekhawat who made a mark on society through various community service efforts.

NCP president Sharad Pawar tweeted that he is deeply saddened by the demise of the senior Congress leader who served as the first mayor of Amravati.

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Dr Shekhawat had a deep concern for farmers and in 1995 he set up the Sadhana Krishi Vigyan Kendra which imparted agricultural education and training. His work in the field of education led to his appointment as officiating vice-chancellor of Amravati University.

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