Vilasrao Deshmukh

                               Profile

Born         :-  26 May 1945
Died           :- 14 August 2012 (aged 67), Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Political party  :- Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)       :-   Vaishali Deshmukh

Children        :-  3 Amit Deshmukh,Riteish Deshmukh, Dhiraj Deshmukh

Occupation       :-     Lawyer

Introduction

Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh was an Indian politician who served as Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.

Vilasrao with wife

Vilasrao Deshmukh was a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, India. He has previously held the posts of Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj, Government of India and Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India. He was a member of Rajya Sabha representing Maharashtra. Vilasrao Deshmukh was two-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2008. He was a member of the Indian National Congress and originally belonged to Latur district in the Marathwada region ofMaharashtra.

Critically ill with kidney and liver failures, Deshmukh died on 14 August 2012 due to multiple organ failure at Global Hospitals, Chennai.

Career

Deshmukh entered active politics and became member of the Babhalgaon (Latur) Village Panchayat from 1974 to 1980 and its Sarpanch (village chief) from 1974 to 1976. He was a member of Osmanabad Zilla Parishad and Deputy Chairman of Latur Taluka Panchayat Samiti (Latur District Panchayat Committee) from 1974 to 1980. As a President of Osmanabad District Youth Congress from 1975 to 1978, he worked for the implementation of Five Point Programme of the Youth Congress. He organised the youth in Osmanabad district and became President of District wing of the Indian National Congress.

Vilasrao is giving  Speech 

He was Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1995 winning 1980, 1985 and 1990 elections. During this period, he served as the Minister of State and the Cabinet Minister and had the portfolios of the ministries of Home, General Administration, Cooperation, Public Works, Transport, Legislative Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development Fisheries, Industry, Rural Development, Education, Technical Education, Sports and Youth Welfare.

He lost the election in 1995 by a margin of 35,000. He was re-elected to the State Legislature from Latur Constituency in the elections held in September 1999 with a strong comeback winning with a margin of nearly 91,000 in two successive election, the highest in Maharashtra. He took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 18 October 1999. He was Chief Minister until 17 January 2003, but had to step down in January 2003 and make way for Sushilkumar Shinde, following factionalism in the state unit of the party.

He was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly from Latur Constituency in October 2004. He took oath of Chief Ministership for the second time on 1 November 2004 – 4 December 2008.

He subsequently entered the Rajya Sabha and was appointed to the Council of Ministers as Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 28 May 2009. He was appointed as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises on 19 January 2011 cabinet reshuffle. Later on he was appointed Minister of Rural Development. He was appointed as Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences on 12 July 2011.

Last Moment

Deshmukh was diagnosed with cirrhosis in summer 2011. Hints of his ailments, though kept in private, included the writing of his will and a general lack of previous warmth and tiredness at the weddings of his two sons, Riteish and Dheeraj. He was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital in the first week of August 2012, where he was diagnosed with both liver and kidney failure. He was flown to Chennai for a liver transplant by air ambulance on 6 August.Attempts to commence the liver transplant failed as a clinically dead man, whose liver and kidney were to be transplanted into Deshmukh died the night before the operation. He died the following day on 14 August at 14:00 due to an apparent multiple organ failure..  He died in the presence of his family.

A tribute to Deshmukh

Reactions included INC President Sonia Gandhi who said his death was a great loss to the party. President Pranab Mukherjee paid tribute and expressed grief, as did Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who also called Deshmukh "a trusted colleague and an able administrator who worked at panchayat, state and central levels with admirable dedication." Singh said in his message. Mahrashtra BJP opposition leader Prakash Javadekar reacted in saying: "It is a very sad news. He was warm-hearted and cheerful and always ready for helping (others). He had a vision for Maharashtra and was equally concerned about farmers and youngsters;" while Minister of State for Science and Technology Ashwani Kumar called Deshmukh a "great human being" who had an ability to connect with people and that "he was very unwell. We were hoping for his recovery. I am saddened, shocked." Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan said his death was "very unfortunate to lose such a promising leader at a young age." Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Sharad Yadav said his death resulted in a "lot of pain," whileNationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel said: "He had a long journey in public life. He was a big leader, a wise leader. He knew all parts of Maharashtra very well. It is great loss for the country and big loss for Maharashtra." Other condolences came from Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawale. His death also elicited reaction fromBollywood, partly as a result of his son's career in filmdom. These included Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza and Raveena Tandon, as well asShah Rukh Khan who called Deshmukh a "wonderful" gentleman and said "I'm feeling very sorry. I have known him (Vilasrao) for years. Riteish is a close friend of mine. I spoke to him. I am very sad, it is very unexpected." His cremation took place on 15 August, India's Independence Day at Babhalgaon, his village, in Latur district.