Former minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mahadeorao Sukhaji Shivankar died on Monday after prolonged illness in Maharashtra’s Gondia district, according to family sources quoted by news agency PTI.
Shivankar, aged 85, died at his residence in Amgaon in the early hours of the day, his son Vijay Shivankar confirmed.
He was a five-time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Amgaon constituency and also represented the Chimur constituency in the Lok Sabha.
The veteran politician has also served as the national president of the BJP’s farmers’ cell.
Shivankar was notably responsible for announcing the bifurcation of Bhandara district and the creation of the new Gondia district on 26 January 1999.
He previously held the role of state irrigation and finance minister in the Manohar Joshi government in Maharashtra during the 1990s.
Shivankar is survived by his sons Vijay and Sanjay Shivankar and a daughter.
His last rites will be held at Sakhritla Ghat in Amgaon on Tuesday, with the funeral procession scheduled to start at 10 am from the former minister’s residence.
Eknath Shinde slams opposition for ‘flip-flop’ in local polls
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday criticized the opposition for its “dual role”, saying that while it had initially demanded holding local body elections as a priority, it is now demanding its postponement due to alleged irregularities.
He claimed that the opposition fears “imminent defeat” in the upcoming local polls, adding that the ruling Mahayuti alliance – comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP – would sweep the election.
Leaders of various opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP) and MNS, recently met the state election commissioner and chief electoral officer. They claimed that there were duplicate names in the electoral roll at different addresses and constituencies.
They called on the authorities to “fix” the register and remove these “anomalies” ahead of the rural and urban body elections due to be completed by January 31, 2026.
Speaking to reporters in Thane during the Diwali festivities, Shinde criticized the opposition’s contradictory stance.
“The opposition itself has insisted that the elections be held on priority and when they are held, the opposition wants them to be postponed,” he said.
“The opposition has been cursing, abusing and making accusations against the EC for various reasons and now they are turning to the EC with their complaints,” he pointed out.
