Maharashtra Navanirman Sena MLA Ramesh Wanjale, better known as the gold man of Pune, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital here this evening. He was 45.
A first-time MLA, Wanjale was elected to Assembly from Khadakwasla in October 2009. He is survived by wife, three kids, two brothers and parents. The funeral will be held at Vaikunth crematorium on Saturday.
Doctors at Jehangir Hospital said Wanjale was brought dead to the hospital. “There was no pulse, yet we tried to revive him,” said Prasad Muglikar, director (medical administration). A huge crowd of supporters had gathered at the hospital.
Wanjale was initially taken to Joshi Hospital for an MRI scan after he complained of shoulder and back pain. “We were preparing him for the MRI scan when he went blank all of a sudden. He just collapsed and it is likely that it was a cardiac arrest as we tried resuscitation to revive him. This occurred around 7 pm, after which we sent him to Jehangir Hospital,” said Dr Ashish Atre, radiologist at Joshi Hospital.
Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe said, “It is shocking. Whenever I met him, he looked in sound health. In fact, a few days ago, we had met at a marriage ceremony; he looked quite cheerful... Wanjale was a kirtankar besides a good political leader. It is an irreparable loss to Pune district.”
Congress city president Abhay Chhajed said, “We have close family ties. We met at Le Meridien for a function on Thursday night, where he told me that his sugar level had dropped and wanted to talk to me how he should control it as he was aware that I had diabetes. He was supposed to meet a doctor for checkup the next morning. Before departing after the programme, he sat next to me and said he would visit my home in a few days.”
BJP MLA Girish Bapat said he and Wanjale had become friends when the latter was a member of Kunjir Talim at Sadashiv Peth. “Though he was physically very strong, he was polite and mild-mannered. He was a religious man and could recite Tukarami gatha. He used to ensure that he had Dagdusheth Ganapati darshan before going to bed everyday.”
Bapat said Wanjale was always busy, especially in his constituency. “He apparently did not pay much attention to his health, which seems to have ultimately claimed his life. He had become a popular leader in a very short time.”
A first-time MLA, Wanjale was elected to Assembly from Khadakwasla in October 2009. He is survived by wife, three kids, two brothers and parents. The funeral will be held at Vaikunth crematorium on Saturday.
Doctors at Jehangir Hospital said Wanjale was brought dead to the hospital. “There was no pulse, yet we tried to revive him,” said Prasad Muglikar, director (medical administration). A huge crowd of supporters had gathered at the hospital.
Wanjale was initially taken to Joshi Hospital for an MRI scan after he complained of shoulder and back pain. “We were preparing him for the MRI scan when he went blank all of a sudden. He just collapsed and it is likely that it was a cardiac arrest as we tried resuscitation to revive him. This occurred around 7 pm, after which we sent him to Jehangir Hospital,” said Dr Ashish Atre, radiologist at Joshi Hospital.
Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe said, “It is shocking. Whenever I met him, he looked in sound health. In fact, a few days ago, we had met at a marriage ceremony; he looked quite cheerful... Wanjale was a kirtankar besides a good political leader. It is an irreparable loss to Pune district.”
BJP MLA Girish Bapat said he and Wanjale had become friends when the latter was a member of Kunjir Talim at Sadashiv Peth. “Though he was physically very strong, he was polite and mild-mannered. He was a religious man and could recite Tukarami gatha. He used to ensure that he had Dagdusheth Ganapati darshan before going to bed everyday.”
Bapat said Wanjale was always busy, especially in his constituency. “He apparently did not pay much attention to his health, which seems to have ultimately claimed his life. He had become a popular leader in a very short time.”
