Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray and his senior party colleague Sanjay Raut on Tuesday paid tributes to former MP Mohan Delkar on the latter's first death anniversary at Silvassa town in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Delkar, a seven-time MP from the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha constituency, was found dead at a hotel in Marine Drive area of Mumbai last year. He had been a member of both the Congress and the BJP at various times in his political career. In the 2019 general election, he won as an Independent candidate from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat.
In the bypolls held in October last year, Delkar's wife Kalaben won as a Shiv Sena candidate. Delkar's family had organised a condolence meet at their residence in Silvassa town on Tuesday. "Can’t believe that it's been a year since my father left all of us. He was an able and popular leader of this region. Both Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Rautji have personally come to mourn his death. I believe that my father's blessings will always remain with us," Delkar's son Abhinav said.
Mr. Thackeray said a probe into Delkar's death is under way and that the Shiv Sena will give justice to his family. "Sanjayji and I have come here to share the Delkar family's grief. We have a family-like relationship with the Delkars. Hence, we will be here whenever they think of us. Delkarji was a brave leader. We all will fight for justice and giving a poll ticket to Kalaben was also a step towards ensuring justice," he said.