Former Union Home Minister and veteran Congress leader Shivraj Patil passed away at his residence in Latur on Friday morning, bringing an end to a political journey that spanned more than five decades. The 90-year-old leader had been receiving treatment at home for age-related health complications and breathed his last at around 6:30 am. His death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from Congress workers, supporters and senior leaders across Maharashtra and New Delhi.
Patil, born on October 12, 1935, emerged as one of the most influential political figures from the Marathwada region. He began his legislative career in the 1970s, winning the Latur Assembly seat twice before moving to national politics. From 1980 to 2004, he secured seven consecutive victories in the Lok Sabha from Latur, becoming one of the longest-serving MPs from Maharashtra. Despite this remarkable run, he lost the 2004 election to BJP’s Rupatai Patil Nilangekar, marking a rare setback in an otherwise steady political rise.
Throughout his career, Patil held some of the country’s most crucial positions, including the speakership of the Lok Sabha and several key portfolios in successive Congress governments. His tenure as Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 was among the most critical chapters of his political life. During the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Patil faced intense criticism over security preparedness. Accepting moral responsibility, he resigned from the post shortly after the attack, a decision still remembered as a rare example of accountability in contemporary Indian politics.
