New delhi,Dec 12,: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Shivraj Patil Chakurkar passed away on Friday (December 12, 2025) in Maharashtra’s Latur district following a brief illness. Mr. Patil was 90 and had a political career of five decades, where he held several positions in the Central government, including Speaker of the Lok Sabha and several ministries.
Shivraj Patil, who was born in 1935 in Latur’s Chakur region, has been known for inducting technology for the dissemination of information and broadcasting the Parliamentary proceedings and construction of the Parliament Library Building, when he was appointed as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996.
He served as Minister of State for Defence from 1980-82, Commerce Ministry (1982–83), and during the Rajiv Gandhi government, he also took charge of Minister for Personnel, Defence production, Civil Aviation and Tourism.
He started his career with the Latur Municipal Corporation in 1967 and was last appointed as governor of Punjab and Chandigarh in 2010 and 2015. In between, for the first time, he was elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Latur in 1972 and also served for a second term in 1978. As a Member of Parliament from Latur constituency, he was elected for seven consecutive times- 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Patil was trusted with the Union Home Ministry in 2004, but he resigned on November 30, 2008, taking moral responsibility for the security lapses during the 26/11 attack.
The politicians have started pouring their tributes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, saying, “Saddened by the passing of Shivraj Patil. He was an experienced leader, having served as MLA, MP, Union Minister, Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, as well as the Lok Sabha during his long years in public life.”
