34 Facts About Vilasrao Deshmukh

Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh was an Indian politician who served as the 14th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, first term from 18 October 1999 to 16 January 2003 and second term, from 1 November 2004 to 5 December 2008.

Vilasrao Deshmukh served in the Union cabinet as the Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, India.

Vilasrao Deshmukh had 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.

Vilasrao Deshmukh 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.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was a member of the Indian National Congress and originally belonged to Latur district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

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

One of his sons Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh is a well-known Bollywood actor.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was born on 26 May 1945 in Babhalgaon village in Latur district in the present-day Maharashtra.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was the eldest son of Dagdojirao Deshmukh and Sushiladevi.

Vilasrao Deshmukh's grandfather Venkatrao Deshmukh was a revenue officer in Hyderabad State and held Deshmukhi rights to collect revenues and establishing law and order in jurisdiction.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was known as 'Thorle Saheb' in native district and 'Anna' among his followers.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was devotee of Khandoba of Malegaon and Rokadeshwar Hanuman of Dhanegaon.

Vilasrao Deshmukh always resided in his ancestral home in village rather than in city.

Vilasrao Deshmukh entered active politics and became a member of the Babhalgaon Village Panchayat from 1974 to 1980 and its Sarpanch from 1974 to 1976.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was a member of Osmanabad Zilla Parishad and Deputy Chairman of Latur Taluka Panchayat Samiti from 1974 to 1980.

Vilasrao Deshmukh organised the youth in Osmanabad district and became the President of District wing of the Congress party.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1995 winning the 1980,1985, and 1990 elections.

Vilasrao Deshmukh lost the election in 1995 by a margin of 35,000.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was re-elected to the State Legislature from Latur Constituency in the elections held in September 1999 with a strong comeback winning by a margin of nearly 91,000 in two successive elections, the highest in Maharashtra.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 18 October 1999 and served until he stepped down from the post on 17 January 2003, as a result of factionalism in the state unit of the party and succeeded by Sushilkumar Shinde.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly from Latur Constituency in October 2004.

Vilasrao Deshmukh 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.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was appointed Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises on 19 January 2011 after a cabinet reshuffle.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was appointed Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences on 12 July 2011.

Vilasrao Deshmukh took the moral responsibility and offered to resign, which was then accepted by the party.

An affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court on 27 April 2012 alleged that Vilasrao Deshmukh might be owning two flats through proxies in the Adarsh housing society in Mumbai.

Vilasrao Deshmukh founded Marathwada Mitramandal under which there are two engineering colleges and one commerce college in Pune, and another one in Marathwada Mitra Mandal's Institute of Technology Lohegaon, Pune.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital in the first week of August 2012, where he was diagnosed with liver and kidney failure.

Attempts to commence the liver transplant failed as a clinically dead man, whose liver and kidney were to be transplanted into Vilasrao Deshmukh, died the night before the operation.

Vilasrao Deshmukh was warm-hearted and cheerful and always ready for helping.

Vilasrao Deshmukh had a vision for Maharashtra and was equally concerned about farmers and youngsters.

Vilasrao Deshmukh's death elicited reaction from Bollywood, partly as a result of his son's career in filmdom.