Meenakshi Patil, Veteran PWP Leader and Former Maharashtra Minister, Passes Away

Veteran Peasants & Workers Party (PWP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Meenakshi Patil has passed away at the age of 77 in Alibaug, Raigad district. Survived by son Aswad Patil, she served as an elected member from the coastal Alibaug Assembly constituency in 1995, 1999, and 2009. In 1999, she was appointed as a minister of state for ports and fisheries in the Congress-NCP government.

Patil, niece of former PWP supremo Dattatray N. Patil, was known for her dedication to the welfare of marginalized sections of society. One of her brothers, Jayant Patil, also a PWP leader, served as a former legislator. The late Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh headed the Congress-NCP government during her tenure as minister.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit A. Pawar, state Congress President Nana Patole, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar, and other senior leaders have expressed their condolences on Patil’s demise. Her last rites were conducted in her village, attended by a large number of party workers and admirers mourning the loss of a dedicated leader who worked for the betterment of society.