MP Vasantrao Chavan, face of Congress' resurgence in Maharashtra, dies at 70

Chavan had been undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was airlifted last week after his condition deteriorated. He passed away at 4 am

Mumbai: Vasantrao Chavan, a Member of Parliament for the Indian National Congress, died on Monday at KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was 70.

Vasantrao Chavan (Nana Patole (X))

]Chavan had been undergoing treatment at the hospital, where he was airlifted last week after his condition deteriorated. He passed away at 4 am, according to party officials.

The late politician had become a symbol of the Congress party's resurgence in Maharashtra after winning the hotly contested Nanded Lok Sabha seat in the recent elections. His victory came as a surprise to many, who had predicted the party's demise in the district following the defection of former chief minister Ashok Chavan to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shortly before the polls.

Despite facing a formidable challenge from the BJP's sitting MP, Pratap Chikhlikar, who enjoyed support from the newly defected Ashok Chavan, Vasantrao Chavan managed to secure a decisive victory. He defeated Chikhlikar by a margin of 59,442 votes, rallying party workers who remained loyal to the Congress.

Political analysts suggest that the ongoing Maratha reservation agitation played a role in Chavan's success. Many within the Maratha community expressed dissatisfaction with Ashok Chavan's perceived lack of action on the issue during his time in power.

The news of Vasantrao Chavan's death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from fellow politicians. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole wrote on social media platform X: "The news of the demise of a senior leader and Nanded MP Vasantraoji Chavan is shocking. Even in adverse conditions, he always remained loyal to the Congress party and brought the idea of the party to every home...The entire Congress party is with the Chavan family in this period of grief."

Other prominent figures, including Leader of the Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, have also expressed their sympathies.