Former Maharashtra Minister Madhukar Pichad passes away in Nashik 

Former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Madhukar Pichad passes away at 84, leaving a legacy in politics.

Former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Madhukar Pichad passed away on Friday (December 6, 2024) at the age of 84 at Nine Pulse Hospital in Nashik district of Maharashtra. He was admitted in the hospital a month ago after suffering a brain stroke. During the treatment, his health condition deteriorated, and he breathed his last on Friday (December 6, 2024) evening while undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Speaking to reporters, his son, Vaibhav Madhukar Pichad said, “He passed away at 6:30 p.m. at Nine Pulse Hospital in Nashik. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. in our village Rajur, in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.”

Senior NCP leader, Chhagan Bhujbal took to social media platform X and wrote, “The news of the demise of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, my old colleague in the legislature, former Minister Madhukarrao Pichad, is very sad. This is a big shock for me personally. My heartfelt tributes to him!”

“He was an important colleague who came with us after the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party and one of our important stalwarts in the party at that time,” Mr. Bhujbal said.

“From 1995 to 1999, Pichad Saheb was the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, and I was the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. At that time, there was a Shiv Sena government, and we had literally left the government in a state of chaos. He was like my elder brother, I got his guidance from time to time,” he added.  

Talking about his recent visit during the hospitalisation period, Mr. Bhujbal said, “I had recently visited him in the hospital in Nashik while he was undergoing treatment. I had discussed this with his son Vaibhav Pichad and the doctors. This news, which came just a few days later, has deeply saddened my heart. As soon as I heard this news, I contacted Vaibhav Pichad over the phone and consoled him and gave him strength. With the death of Madhukarrao Pichad, I have forever lost a senior colleague who was like an elder brother. Also, with his passing, an important leader of the tribal community has gone behind the curtain of time forever and the tribal community has suffered an irreparable loss. I and the entire Bhujbal family are with the Pichad family in this difficult time. May the family get the strength to recover from this grief and may the soul of the late Madhukarrao Pichad rest in peace!”

In his early life during college, Pichad had actively participated in movements for the rights of tribal farmers who were exploited. His name is held with respect in Maharashtra politics as he held several positions: a prominent leader from the tribal community who represented Akole Assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district from 1980 to 2009, he held the post of undivided NCP’s State president, served as the Minister for Tribal Development, Forest and Environment, a minister in multiple Congress governments till 1995. In the 2019 Assembly elections, Pichad left the NCP and joined the BJP and joined the party with his son in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis. But Vaibhav Pichad was defeated in the 2019 elections. Before his hospitalisation, Pichad had a meeting with Sharad Pawar and there were talks of him returning to the NCP.