Bhabhalgaon (Latur District, Maharashtra) Aug 15 (ANI): Thousands of people lined up to pay their last respects to former Union Minister and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh whose body was brought here today.
Deshmukh, who passed away at the Global Hospital in Chennai on Tuesday at the age of 67, was flown to Bhabhalgaon in an Air Force plane.
Among those expected to attend his funeral later this evening are Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and other central and state ministers.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and other opposition leaders will also be present.
Deshmukh, who was on life-support while undergoing treatment for a serious liver ailment and multiple organ failure, was admitted to the hospital on August 6. and the doctors had been planning to retrieve the liver from a donor at the hospital for him.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, who previously held the posts of Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj and Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, was a Maratha leader from Latur, Maharashtra. Deshmukh was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra twice, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2008.
He was earlier undergoing treatment at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai for about a week and had to be shifted to the super speciality hospital in Chennai due to a deterioration in his condition.
Deshmukh is survived by his wife Vaishali and three sons. (ANI)
