Vijay alias Balasaheb Bhausaheb Thorat (Marathi pronunciation: [baːɭaːsaːɦeb t̪ʰoɾaːt̪], born 7 February 1953), known popularly as Balasaheb Thorat, is an Indian politician who served as the revenue minister in Maharashtra state. He also served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.[1] Thorat is a senior member of the Congress Party. He was an MLA from Sangamner constituency.
Balasaheb Thorat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of Congress Legislature Party Maharashtra Legislature | |
| In office 24 November 2019 – 26 November 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Prithviraj Chavan |
| Succeeded by | Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar |
| Leader of the Opposition (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) | |
Additional Charge | |
| In office 18 July 2023 – 3 August 2023 | |
| Governor | |
| Deputy | |
| |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 4 July 2022 – 3 August 2023 | |
| Governor | |
| |
| |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | |
| In office (1978-1980), (1985 – 2024) | |
| Preceded by | B. J. Khatal-Patil |
| Succeeded by | Amol Khatal |
| Constituency | Sangamner |
| Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra | |
| In office 30 December 2019 – 29 June 2022 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor | |
| Cabinet | Thackeray ministry |
| Uddhav Thackeray | |
| Ajit Pawar | |
Guardian Minister |
|
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil |
Incharge | |
| In office 28 November 2019 – 30 December 2019 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor | |
| Cabinet | Thackeray ministry |
| Uddhav Thackeray | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee | |
| In office 7 July 2019 – 5 February 2021 | |
| Sonia Gandhi | |
| Preceded by | Ashok Chavan |
| Succeeded by | Nana Patole |
| Secretary of Maha Vikas Aghadi | |
| Assumed office 26 November 2019 | |
| President | Uddhav Thackeray |
Chairperson | Sharad Pawar |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra | |
| In office 11 November 2010 – 26 September 2014 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor |
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| Cabinet | Prithviraj Chavan ministry |
| Prithviraj Chavan | |
| Ajit Pawar | |
Guardian Minister | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| In office 7 November 2009 – 9 November 2010 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor | |
| Cabinet | Second Ashok Chavan ministry |
| Ashok Chavan | |
| Chhagan Bhujbal | |
Guardian Minister | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| In office 8 December 2008 – 6 November 2009 | |
| Minister | |
| Governor | |
| Cabinet | First Ashok Chavan ministry |
| Ashok Chavan | |
| Chhagan Bhujbal | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| In office 1 November 2004 – 4 December 2008 | |
| Minister | |
| Cabinet | Second Deshmukh ministry |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh | |
| R. R. Patil | |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | |
| Minister of State Government of Maharashtra | |
| In office 18 January 2003 – 4 November 2004 | |
| Minister | |
| Cabinet | Sushilkumar Shinde ministry |
| Sushilkumar Shinde | |
| |
| In office 18 October 1999 – 16 January 2003 | |
| Minister | |
| Cabinet | First Deshmukh ministry |
| Vilasrao Deshmukh | |
| Chhagan Bhujbal | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vijay Bhausaheb Thorat 7 February 1953 |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
Other party | Independent |
| Children | 3 daughters & 1 son |
| Education | Fergusson College B.A, ILS Law College, Pune L.L.B |
| Nickname | Vijay |
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. He is currently (as of July 2024) President of Amrutvahini College of Engineering.[2] Previously, he served as Minister of Agriculture and as Minister of Revenue, and Khar Lands in the Government of Maharashtra. [3][4][5]
Early life
editThorat 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.
Education
editThorat obtained his LLB degree from ILS Law College, Pune in 1977 and BA from Ferguson college, Pune University in 1975.
Political career
editHe 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. Thereafter, he won 8 assembly elections without being 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.
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.
Thorat resigned as the leader of the Congress in Legislature in 2023.[6]
He ran for reelection in 2024 and was able to retain his seat, making Thorat the longest-currently serving MLA in Maharashtra.
Political statistics
edit| SI No. | Year | Assembly Constituency | Opponent | Votes | Difference | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1985 | Sangamner | Shakuntala Khanderao Horat (INC) | 40218-30059 | 10159 | Won |
| 2. | 1990 | Vasantrao Sakharam Gunjal (BJP) | 57465-52603 | 4862 | Won | |
| 3. | 1995 | Bapusaheb Namdeo Gulave (Independent) | 73611-58957 | 14654 | Won | |
| 4. | 1999 | Bapusaheb Namdeo Gulave (Shiv Sena) | 61975-40524 | 21451 | Won | |
| 5. | 2004 | Sambhajirao Ramchandra Thorat (Shiv Sena) | 120058-44301 | 75757 | Won | |
| 6. | 2009 | Babasaheb Dhondiba Kute (Shiv Sena) | 96686-41310 | 55376 | Won | |
| 7. | 2014 | Janardan Mhatarba Aher (Shiv Sena) | 103564-44759 | 58805 | Won | |
| 8. | 2019 | Sahebrao Ramchandra Navale (Shiv Sena) | 125380-63128 | 62252 | Won | |
| 9. | 2024 | Amol Khatal-Patil (Shiv Sena) | 101826-112386 | -10560 | Lost |
Positions held
edit- 1985–2024 - 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 - 2023 - Congress Legislative Party leader, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 28 November 2019 – 2023 - Cabinet Minister for Revenue, Govt. of Maharashtra
- 8 January 2020 - Guardian minister Kolhapur
- Permanent invitee - Congress Working Committee
References
edit- ↑ "Balasaheb Bhausaheb Thorat". India Leader. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020.
- ↑ "Board of Trustees - Amrutvahini College of Engineering". Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Crisis in Maharashtra Congress, CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat quits after tussle with state chief". MSN.