Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Maharashtra’s Washim district, Rajendra Patni, passed away on Friday, aged 59.
Mr. Patni, a three-term MLA from the Karanja Assembly constituency, had been suffering from cancer for some time now and was undergoing treatment. The constituency, following delimitation became part of the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency.
Mr. Patni was an experienced leader who was first elected in the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1997. Formerly with the undivided Shiv Sena, he later switched to the BJP.
He first entered the Assembly by winning the Karanja seat in 2004 on a Shiv Sena ticket. He, however, lost it in the 2009 Assembly election.
By then, Mr. Patni had moved over to the BJP. He won both the 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections, becoming a mainstay of the saffron party and the BJP’s Washim district president before being struck down by cancer.
Maharashtra BJP leader Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed shock at Mr. Patni’s demise and paid tributes to the deceased MLA.
“Rajendra Patni, our MLA from Washim, was undergoing treatment for cancer for the last four years. His untimely demise is extremely shocking and painful for all of us in the BJP. He was a dedicated party worker with a good understanding of all critical issues. His passing away is a huge loss to the BJP,” said Mr. Fadnavis, who later visited the Patni family along with State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Mr. Fadnavis recalled that even when Mr. Patni was hospitalised, he kept working, using his mobile to send messages and follow-up on ongoing works,
Condoling his demise, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the BJP’s ally in Maharashtra, said that Mr. Patni would always be remembered as a calm, restrained leader with a passion for development.
Mr. Patni’s last rites will be performed in Washim.
