Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad dies of COVID-19 at Mumbai hospital

Former MP and veteran congressional leader Eknath Gaikwad passed away on Wednesday after losing a battle with Covid-19. He was 81 years old. The politician was in treatment at a private Mumbai hospital after he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

Eknath Gaikwad, the father of the State Minister of Education, Varsha Gaikwad, took his last breath at Breach Candy Hospital around 10 a.m.

“The main leader of the Congress Party, former MP, former Minister Eknath Gaikwad Ji passed away today. My condolences to his daughter and the Maharashtra Minister of Education @VarshaEGaikwad, the Gaikwad family and their friends / supporters,” tweeted the leader of the Maharashtra State Youth Congress, Satyajeet. Tambe.

काँग्रेसचे ज्येष्ठ नेते माजी खासदार एकनाथ गायकवाड यांचे निधन दुःखदायक आहे. वंचित व उपेक्षित समाजांचे शैक्षणिक उत्थान व सामाजिक न्यायाच्या भूमिकेतून त्यांनी अथकपणे आयुष्यभर कार्य केले. त्यांच्या कुटुंबियांच्या दुःखात सहसंवेदना व भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली!

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) April 28, 2021

या दुःखद प्रसंगी आम्ही सर्वजण त्यांच्या कुटुंबीयांच्या दुःखात सहभागी आहोत. भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. @VarshaEGaikwad @INCIndia@INCMaharashtra@INCMumbai

— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) April 28, 2021

Condolences came from various political parties mourning Gaikwad’s death.

Gaikwad belonged to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family. Gaikwad, a two-time Lok Sabha MP, had represented the South Central constituency of Bombay. He had also served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, beating Dharavi three times.