• Source:JND

Veteran Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his hometown in Maharashtra's Latur district on Friday morning.

News agency PTI cited family sources, reported that he was suffering from a brief illness and passed away this morning. He is survived by his son Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana, who is a BJP leader, and two granddaughters.

Shivraj Patil: Political Career

Patil held several key positions during his long political journey. He was the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh between January 22, 2010, and January 21, 2015.

Patil also served as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from July 10, 1991, to May 22, 1996. He served as a member of the Parliament for three long decades.

His Lok Sabha stint started in 1980 and continued till 2004. Patil won successive Lok Sabha elections from his home turf, Latur, in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999. In 2004, he lost to BJP candidate Rupatai Patil Nilangekar.

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Later in the same year, he again reached the Parliament after being elected to the Rajya Sabha. For a period of a little less than a year, he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, between March 19, 1990, to March 13, 1991.

Before he started the Centre politic in Delhi in 1980, he was involved in the state politics of Maharashtra and was an MLA from Latur city for a period of 8 years between 1972 and 1978. During this time, he held the key positions of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi condole his demise

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences on his demise. In a post on X, PM Modi shared his picture with Patil and said, "Saddened by the passing of Shri Shivraj Patil Ji. He was an experienced leader, having served as MLA, MP, Union Minister, Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly as well as the Lok Sabha during his long years in public life. He was passionate about contributing to the welfare of society. I have had many interactions with him over the years, the most recent one being when he came to my residence a few months ago. My thoughts are with his family in this sad hour. Om Shanti."

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Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP, Rahul Gandhi, also expressed grief over Patil's demise, saying, "The news of the demise of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shri Shivraj Patil ji is extremely heartbreaking and an irreparable loss for the party. His dedication to public service and his contributions to the nation will always be remembered. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with the entire Patil family, their well-wishers, and supporters."


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