Long-time Congress loyalist Vilaskaka Patil-Undalkar passes away

A seven-time Congress MLA from Karad south constituency, Vilaskaka, as he was fondly addressed, was a staunch Congress loyalist who never left the party even during its turbulent times. Though he was denied nomination from Karad South constituency in 2015 elections to make way for then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Undalkar contested as an independent and lost to Chavan by a narrow margin.

Paying tributes, State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said, “In the death of Vilaskaka the party has lost an staunch loyalist, experienced party leader who enjoyed mass following.”

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan said, “In the passing away of Vilaskaka, the Congress has lost a true torchbearer and a leader who remained loyal to the party throughout his life. Even in the difficult times, he never left the Congress and followed its ideology strictly. For 35 years, he was elected an MLA which showed his wide acceptance among the masses.”