Shiv Sena’s tribal leader and senior MlA from Palghar Krishna Ghoda died of a heart attack on Sunday, thus becoming fourth such sitting elected representative to have passed away during the last eight months after the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Ghoda, a four-time MlA, complained of severe chest pain while he was returning from a marriage function at Manor near Palghar, 90 km from here, He was rushed to the Haria Hospital at Vapi in the neighbouring Gujarat, where he was pronounced dead on admission. He was 64.
An influential politician in the newly-formed tribal district of Palghar, Ghoda had been elected the vice president of Thane District Co-operative Bank a couple of days ago.
Ghoda was elected to the Maharashtra for the first time in 1988 from Dahanu constituency on a Congress ticket. Subsequently, he was elected twice on a NCP ticket to the State Assembly. He was, however, defeated in the 2009 polls.
In the run-up to the 2014 Assembly polls, Ghoda switched over from the NCP to the Shiv Sena, which fielded Ghoda as its candidate from the Palghar constituency. In the October 2014 polls, he bagged the Palghar seat by a narrow margin of 515 votes against then minister and sitting Congress MlA Rajendra Gavit.
Condoling Gholda’s death, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is away in Kolhapur attending the BJP’s State executive meeting, tweeted: “Shocked to hear about the sudden demise of MlA Krushna Ghoda.My deepest condolences. His work in social and educational field will be remembered”.
Mourning the death of Ghoda, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik said in his condolence message: “In the passing away of Ghoda, we have lost a leader working for the welfare of tribals in Dahanu area”.
Naik, who was in the past a BJP MP from Mumbai north constituency, said: “During my days as the Mumbai north MP, I had come close to Ghoda. Though he was in a rival political party then, I had high regard for him for his notable work among the tribals and concern for the welfare of Adivasi community. My sincere condolences to his family on his death,” the current UP Governor said.
Incidentally, Ghoda is the fourth sitting MlA to have died within eight months after the October 2014 Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Earlier, the first of the sitting MlAs who died was the BJP’s Govind Rathod, who passed away on October 27, 2014, less than a fortnight after election to the State Assembly. On January 9, 2015, Prakash alias Bala Sawant of the Shiv Sena died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. On February 16, 2015, former deputy chief minister and home minister R R Patil of the NCP died of multi-organ failure while battling oral cancer.