Balasaheb Thorat
Vijay Bhausaheb Thorat (Marathi pronunciation: [baːɭaːsaːɦeb t̪ʰoɾaːt̪], born 7 February 1953) is an Indian politician who was minister for revenue in Maharashtra state.[1] He is an Indian National Congress legislator from Sangamner constituency.
Balasaheb Thorat | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra | |
| In office 28 November 2019 – 29 June 2022 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor | Bhagat Singh Koshyari |
| Chief Minister | Uddhav Thackeray |
| Preceded by | Chandrakant Bacchu Patil |
| In office 2004–2014 | |
| Minister |
|
| Governor | |
| Chief Minister | |
| Succeeded by | |
| Minister of State, Government of Maharashtra | |
| In office 1999–2004 | |
| Minister | Agriculture |
| Governor | P.C. Alexander, Mohammed Fazal |
| Chief Minister | Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde |
| Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Bhausaheb Thorat |
| Parliamentary group | Indian National Congress |
| Constituency | Sangamner |
| President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee | |
| In office 07 July 2019 – 5 February 2021 | |
| National President Indian National Congress | Sonia Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Ashok Chavan |
| Succeeded by | Nana Patole |
| Leader of INC Legislative Party | |
| Assumed office 24 November 2019 | |
| National President Indian National Congress | Sonia Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Prithviraj Chavan |
| Secretary of Maha Vikas Aghadi | |
| Assumed office 26 November 2019 | |
| President | Uddhav Thackeray |
| Chairperson | Sharad Pawar |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vijay Bhausaheb Thorat 7 February 1953 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party |  Indian National Congress |
| Other political affiliations | Independent |
| Children | 3 daughters & 1 son |
| Residence | Jorve, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, Tapalcha Patta, Sudarshan, 7 Shivjinagar, Sangamner--422605 |
| Education | Fergusson College B.A, ILS Law College, Pune L.L.B |
| Nickname(s) | Balasaheb |
Thorat is a key figure in the cooperative movement and is the founder of a milk co-operative and former president of the Sangamner District and State Cooperative Bank.
He is recognised for his work in Sangamner taluka and Akole taluka. He has founded cooperative educational institutions in Sangamner. Previously, he served as Minister of Agriculture and as Minister of Revenue, and Khar Lands in the Government of Maharashtra.[2][3][4]
Early lifeEdit
Thorat was born on 7 February 1953 to late Bhausaheb Thorat. He was named as Vijay. His father Bhausaheb Thorat was a peasant leader in Maharashtra and a one-time legislator from Sangamner constituency. Bhausaheb Thorat defeated the then political heavyweight of Maharashtra B. J. Khatal-Patil, a minister in the Maharashtra's government for sixteen-years, in the 1978 Assembly elections as a candidate of INC.
EducationEdit
Thorat obtained his LLB degree from ILS Law College, Pune in 1977 and BA from Ferguson college, Pune University in 1975.
Political careerEdit
He began his political career as an Independent and fought for the Sangamner Vidhan Sabha seat and won with a margin of 10,159 votes on Shakuntala Khanderao Horat. From then he never looked back and won 8 assembly elections never getting defeated in any elections as a candidate of INC.
He was the Minister of State for agriculture in the first Vilasrao Deshmukh's government. Later in 2004 he was elevated to the rank of cabinet minister along with Anil Deshmukh of NCP. He was one of those few leaders in Maharashtra who served as ministers in the 15-year Congress-NCP alliance. He served as the minister of Agriculture, Water Conservation, Employment Guarantee Scheme and Additional charge of School Education in Prithviraj Chavan's cabinet. He is a well-known and a leading face in the cooperative movement of Maharashtra. His nephew Satyajeet Tambe Patil is also a politician in Ahmadnagar district and a two-time member of Ahmadnagar Municipality. He always helps poor people of sangamner and Akole taluka
Thorat was made the MPCC chief in 2019 when Ashok Chavan resigned following the weak performance of the party in the Lok Sabha elections. Thorat had to battle with the large-scale defections from his party to the ruling alliance. Due to defections the congress's tally in the assembly fell down decisively.
Under his leadership the party improved its tally from 31 legislators in the assembly to 44 legislators. After the 2019 political turmoil in Maharashtra with the formation of a post-poll alliance called Maha Vikas Aghadi by the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena, Thorat was sworn in as a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray administration.
Political statisticsEdit
| SI No. | Year | Assembly Cnstituency | Opponent | Votes | Difference | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1985 | Sangamner | Shakuntala Khanderao Horat (INC) | 40218-30059 | 10159 | Won |
| 2. | 1990 | Sangamner | Vasantrao Sakharam Gunjal (BJP) | 57465-52603 | 4862 | Won |
| 3. | 1995 | Sangamner | Bapusaheb Namdeo Gulave (Independent) | 73611-58957 | 14654 | Won |
| 4. | 1999 | Sangamner | Bapusaheb Namdeo Gulave (Shiv Sena) | 61975-40524 | 21451 | Won |
| 5. | 2004 | Sangamner | Sambhajirao Ramchandra Thorat (Shiv Sena) | 120058-44301 | 75757 | Won |
| 6. | 2009 | Sangamner | Babasaheb Dhondiba Kute (Shiv Sena) | 96686-41310 | 55376 | Won |
| 7. | 2014 | Sangamner | Janardan Mhatarba Aher (Shiv Sena) | 103564-44759 | 58805 | Won |
| 8. | 2019 | Sangamner | Sahebrao Ramchandra Navale (Shiv Sena) | 125380-63128 | 62252 | Won |
Positions heldEdit
- 1985–present - Member of Legislative Assembly, Maharashtra.
- 1999–2004 - Minister of State for Agriculture, Govt. of Maharashtra
- 2004-2014 - Cabinet Minister, Govt. of Maharashtra
- 14 July 2019 – 5 February 2021 - PCC Chief, Maharashtra
- 26 November 2019 - Incumbent - Congress Legislative Party leader, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 28 November 2019 – Present - Cabinet Minister for Revenue, Govt. of Maharashtra
- 8 January 2020 - Guardian minister Kolhapur
- Permanent invitee - Congress Working Committee
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ "Balasaheb Bhausaheb Thorat". India Leader. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020.
- ↑ "Sonia Gandhi appoints Balasaheb Bhausaheb Thorat as CLP leader in Maharashtra". Prafulla Marpakwar. The Times of India. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ↑ "Balasaheb Thorat is new Maharashtra Congress chief". Free Press Journal. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ↑ "7-time MLA Balasaheb Thorat is pick to end Congress factionalism in Maharashtra". Hindustan Times. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.