NCP leader R R Patil dies at 57

A grassroots leader, the six-time MLA had handled portfolios of Rural Development and Home, and also served as deputy chief minister briefly. He banned dance bars in Maharashtra, launching the Sant Gadgebaba Swachata Abhiyan and drafting the surrender policy for Maoists. 

Patil was currently an MLA from the Kavathe Mahankal constituency in the Sangli district of the state. He was from the Anjani village in Tasgaon taluka, where his last rites will be performed on Tuesday. 

The Maharashtra government has declared state mourning and a state funeral. The body



will be kept at Rashtrawadi Bhavan for people to pay their respects. 

Patil was ill for the past three months. He was initially admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for treatment of oral cancer. After discharge, he suffered a heart attack and was treated at Bombay Hospital. He underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Nanavati Hospital, and was admitted to Lilavati Hospital for further care. Reacting to his death, Sharad Pawar said: “He was an honest worker and remained connected with the people.” 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “My thoughts are with R R Patil's family. I am saddened to know of his demise, which leaves a void in Maharashtra politics.” 

In Maharashtra, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao said: “Patil personified honesty and simplicity in public life. Patil, who came from a humble background, always maintained contact with the people of the state and his electorates.” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed shock over his death, saying: “We have lost a sensitive leader, a great parliamentarian and a true human being.”