Thousands gather to bid tearful farewell to Patangrao Kadam

Senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam was cremated with full state honours at the Sonhira sugar factory in Wangi village of Kadegaon taluka around 5pm on Saturday. The former minister passed away following prolonged illness at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai on Friday.
Thousands of mourners, including ministers and political leaders, gathered to bid adieu to Kadam. Among those present were chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, ministers Chandrakant Patil, Pankaja Munde, Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Prakash Mohan, Rajiv Satav, NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Jayantrao Patil, MPs Udayanraje Bhosale and Sanjay Patil, RPI leader Ramdas Athawale and senior leader N D Patil.

Fadnavis said, "Kadam was the leader of common people and 'ajatshatru' (had no enemies) in Maharashtra's political circles. When he was minister, I still remember that he appreciated me whenever I raised important issues against the government."

The casket bearing the body was brought from Pune to the Sonhira sugar factory in a private helicopter in the afternoon. His son, Vishwajeet Kadam who is the Maharashtra youth Congress president, and other family members accompanied the body.

A six-time MLA, Kadam was often referred to as 'CM in-waiting'. He had been active in state politics for the last 30 years. He headed important ministries like revenue, forest, rehabilitation, education, cooperation and industry in the state cabinet during the Congress-NCP rule.

Though he hailed from a small town in Sangli district, Pune was an important city for Kadam since he established Bharati Vidyapeeth, an educational institute, in 1964.

Among the prominent leaders who paid their last respects to Kadam at his Pune bungalow were Pune's guardian minister Girish Bapat, former President Pratibha Patil, former Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi, mayor Mukta Tilak and former minister Harshvardhan Patil.