Former minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mahadeorao Sukhaji Shivankar passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness in Gondia district of Maharashtra, according to family sources cited 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 the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Amgaon constituency and had also represented the Chimur constituency in the Lok Sabha.
The veteran politician also served as the national president of the BJP farmers’ cell.
Shivankar was notably responsible for announcing the bifurcation of Bhandara district and the formation 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 conducted at Sakhritla Ghat in Amgaon on Tuesday, with the funeral procession due to begin at 10 AM from the former minister’s residence.
Eknath Shinde slams Opposition over ‘flip-flop’ on local body polls
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticised the Opposition on Monday for its “dual role”, arguing that while it initially demanded local body elections be held as a priority, it is now seeking their postponement over alleged discrepancies.
He asserted that the Opposition feared an “imminent defeat” in the forthcoming local polls, adding that the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—would sweep the elections.
Leaders from various Opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP), and MNS, recently met the State Election Commissioner and the Chief Electoral Officer. They claimed that duplicate names were present on the electoral register across various addresses and assembly constituencies.
They urged the authorities to “rectify” the register and remove these “anomalies” before holding the rural and urban body elections, which are due to be completed by 31 January 2026.
Speaking to journalists in Thane during the Diwali festivities, Shinde slammed the Opposition’s contradictory stance.
“The Opposition itself was insisting on the elections to be held on priority, and when they are going to be held, the Opposition wants them to be postponed,” he said.
“The Opposition had cursed, abused and made allegations against the EC on various grounds, and now it is approaching the EC with its complaints,” he pointed out.
Mahadeorao Sukhaji Shivankar, BJP, Gondia, Maharashtra, obituary, Amgaon
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