Ganpatrao Deshmukh

Ganpatrao Deshmukh
Member of Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra
In office 1962–1972
In office 1974–1995
In office 1999–2019
Constituency	Sangola
Personal details
Born	10 August 1927 Penur, Mohol, Solapur, British Raj
Died	30 July 2021(2021-07-30) (aged 93) Solapur
Political party	Peasants and Workers Party of India
Spouse	Ratanbai Deshmukh
Children	3
Residence	Sangole
Profession	Politician

Ganpatrao Deshmukh (10 August 1927 – 30 July 2021) was an Indian politician. He was in office for 54 years. He was called "Abasaheb" by the people with love and affection. He was also called "Bhai" by peasants and workers.

Biography

He was the leader of Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP). He belongs to Dhangar (shepherd) caste. He is the longest serving member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly having been elected 11 times, during the last 54 years, from Sangola in Solapur district. Deshmukh also briefly served as a minister in the First Sharad Pawar ministry in 1978, and later in 1999, when PWP supported the Congress-NCP alliance.

Deshmukh was first elected to the State Assembly in the 1962 elections, and since then won every election, except for the 1972 and 1995 elections. In 2012, the government and the Assembly congratulated him upon his completing 50 years as a member.

In the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election at the age of eighty-eight, he won the Sangola constituency for a record 11th time with 94,374 votes.