Veteran PWP leader Ganpatrao Deshmukh passes away at 95

Maharashtra's longest-serving legislator Ganpatrao Deshmukh passed away in Solapur, his home district, at 95.

The seniormost leader of Peasants' and Workers' Party (PWP) was suffering from old-age realated issues and had recently underwent a gall-bladder operation.

The last rites would be performed on Saturday.

Deshmukh has represented the Sangole seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly 11 times.

He was first elected an MLA in 1962 and has won 11 times during his political career spanning seven decades. He contested 13 times but lost twice in 1972 and 1995.

He first became a minister for a brief period in the Sharad Pawar-led Progressive Democratic Front government in 1978, and for the second time in 1999, when the PWP supported the Congress-NCP Democratic Front government led by late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Ahead of the 2019 polls, he decided to hang up his boots as a legislator.

Deshmukh is the second longest serving legislator in India after late DMK supremo M Karunanidhi. As against Deshmukh's tenure, Karunanidhi was member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for 61 years and was an MLA 13 times.

Deshmukh was born on August 10, 1927.

He had been influenced with Leftist thoughts since his student days. As a member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly he was widely respected and was known for his simplicity.