Goa’s first and only woman Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar on Friday, died in the state capital, following prolonged illness.
In 1973, Kakodkar was elected as the second CM of Goa, Daman and Diu, which was then a Union Territory. She assumed charge of the State after her father Dayanand Bandodkar, founder of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, died in office.
Popularly known as Tai, Kakodkar was elected again as CM in 1977, before she was replaced by Pratapsingh Rane in a coup in 1979. Kakodkar’s last stint in the State Government was as Education Minister in 1990, during which she barred primary schools, where the medium of instruction was in English, from availing of grants from the State Education Ministry. The impact of the decision, continues to be felt in the State even now, with the medium of instruction controversy issue, featuring as one of the key poll planks for the upcoming 2017 State legislative Assembly polls.
Speaking to The Pioneer, CM laxmikant Parsekar said that Tai, was one of the most frank politicians he had ever encountered and that he used to seek advice for her every now and then vis a vis State affairs.
"Her frank approach to politics will be missed," Parsekar said.
The Goa government has officially announced a two-day mourning in view of Kakodkar's death.
"With her passing way Goa has lost an eminent political leader," Goa governor Mridula Sinha said.
The Communist Party of India (M) in a statement issued here called her an able administrator, adding that "she will be remembered for the mundkar (tenant) and land to the tiller legislations and her visionary initiatives in the fields of higher education, university, and town and country planning laws".