The death of Girish Bapat, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha MP from Pune city, on Wednesday has come as a big blow to the national outfit which has now lost three of its sitting lawmakers in this western Maharashtra district in the last four months.
Before Bapat (72), two sitting BJP MLAs — Mukta Tilak (Kasba Peth constituency) and Laxman Jagtap (Chinchwad) — both in Pune district — died on December 22, 2022, and January 3, 2023, respectively.
In the Assembly bypolls that followed, the BJP managed to retain Chinchwad, where late MLA Jagtap’s wife Ashwini defeated the NCP, but it faced rout in the Kasba Peth constituency, where its candidate Hemant Rasane lost to Congress-MVA nominee Ravindra Dhangekar.
Credited with strengthening the BJP in Pune city, which was once a Congress bastion, Bapat had cordial relations with leaders across political divide and enjoyed close connection with common people of the state’s cultural capital.
His ability to connect with people helped the former state minister win the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency five times before he decided to enter the Lok Sabha in 2019.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, in a video message, said the news of Bapat’s demise was shocking for everyone.
“The news of sad demise of Bapat is shocking to all of us. For last several days, he was fighting his illness and we had confidence that Bapat, who is a fighter, would defeat the illness. But today that hope is gone,” he said.
Fadnavis paid rich tributes to his party colleague, saying “He had great connect with people and had good presence of mind. He was an excellent parliamentarian. Be it a corporator, standing committee head of civic body (Pune Municipal Corporation) MLA or MP, he left an indelible mark through his work.” The Deputy Chief Minister said Bapat made valuable contribution in Pune’s development.
“Girishbhau made great contribution in BJP’s overall progress. Today we have lost a versatile personality…his demise is an irreparable loss to the BJP as well as society. Bapat’s work can not be forgotten,” said Fadnavis.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar of the NCP said the late BJP leader’s politics was centred around development.
Bapat was an inclusive leader who did social work and politics of development by going beyond caste, creed, religion, and language, said Pawar.
Born on September 3, 1950, in Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district, Bapat worked with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh in his initial years.
During the Emergency (1975-77), he was lodged in Nashik jail for 19 months.
Bapat became a corporator in 1983 and after 12 years he was elected to the Assembly from Kasba Peth in Pune city.
He served as Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection, Food and Drugs Administration, and Parliamentary Affairs in the cabinet of then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (2014-19).
Bapat’s last rites were performed at the Vaikunth crematorium in the evening with full state honours. Members of political parties and people from different walks of life took part in the late politician’s last journey.
Fadnavis and state minister Chandrakant Patil were among the leaders who walked to the Vaikunth crematorium.
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