10 August,2012 08:53 AM IST | | Priyankka Deshpande
Former State Health Minister and NCP leader Dr Digvijay Khanvilkar passed away yesterday evening. He was 65. Khanvilkar had suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to the Metro Hospital where Dr Rahul Doshi declared him brought dead. "He was a heart patient and succumbed to the massive heart attack," Doshi said.
Rest in peace: Former health minister and NCP leader Digvijay Khanvilkar. File Pic
A doctor by profession, Khanvilkar was one of the senior NCP leaders and a five-time MLA from Karvir constituency in Kolhapur. NCP spokesperson Ankush Kakade said Khanvilkar was active in politics since his college days.
"He used to work for youth Congress and was elected on Congress ticket as an MLA from 1994-99. In 1999 he joined NCP and won the State Assembly Elections from Karvir constituency in Kolhapur, and became a cabinet minister," Kakade said.
He said in 2004 Khanvilkar once again stood for the State Assembly Elections from Karvir, but lost. "For the past few years, Khanvilkar was not much active in politics due to health reasons," Kakade said.
Khanvilkar would frequently visit the city for medical treatment. It was learnt that a few months ago he had undergone surgery in Kolhapur. He was in the city yesterday to receive medical treatment, but succumbed to the massive heart attack.u00a0
