S B Chavan had carved a niche for himself as an astute administrator, that earned him the sobriquet of a "headmaster" in the government circles.
Shankarrao Bhaurao Chavan was one of the last Gandhi family loyalists, who had the opportunity to closely watch all three Prime Ministers from the Nehru-Gandhi clan.
Chavan, who enjoyed the rare distinction of assuming the mantle of chief ministership of Maharashtra twice, will be remembered for his role as Union home minister in the Narasimha Rao government, when the Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
The 83-year-old leader, who spent nearly six decades in public life hailed from Marathwada and spearheaded the campaign against the powerful Maratha lobby from Western Maharashtra. He was also seen as a leader of all forces opposing the Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar.
Besides Chavan, Marathwada, one of the backward regions of the state, has produced two chief ministers - Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar and Vilasrao Deshmukh.
By infusing discipline in the state administrative machinery, Chavan was termed as a "strict task master" not only by government employees but also by Congress legislators.
He would also be known for pioneering work in the sector of irrigation, specially the ambitious Jaikwadi irrigation project in Marathwada.
Chavan, who first served as chief minister of Maharashtra from 1975 to 1977 and later between 1986 and 1988, was responsible for renaming the state secretariat as Mantralaya.
He also introduced a ban on chewing and smoking of tobacco in government offices and invoked the provisions of Mumbai Police Act to punish the culprits.
Though a strong Gandhi loyalist, Chavan was part of the Sharad Pawar-led Peoples' Democratic Front (PDF) government, that was formed after the toppling of Congress' Vasantdada Patil ministry.
Chavan later formed the Congress Samajwadi Forum along with Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil and others after the fall of the PDF government but later re-joined Congress when Indira Gandhi came to power in 1980.
Born on July 14, 1920, Chavan was an arts graduate from the Madras University and a law graduate from Osmania University.
He started his career as a lawyer but quit the profession after he took a plunge into the "Quit Court" movement in the erstwhile Hyderabad province of Nizam, of which Marathwada was a major part.
During the fight against the Nizam rule, he came in contact with Swami Ramanand Teerth and P V Narasimha Rao.
Coming from a modest background, Chavan took the plunge in the fight against the Nizam's rule and later went on to become the first mayor of Nanded.
His foray into the state politics began with his stint as a member of the state legislative council in 1956.
He, however, got elected to the Assembly the next year from Bhokar constituency and continued to be its member till 1980 when he switched over to national politics and was elected to Lok Sabha from Nanded.
Starting his career at the Centre as an education minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1980, Chavan was assigned important portfolios like external affairs, finance, defence and home in subsequent Congress governments.
He was also the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission 1981 to 1984.
The veteran Congressman was also the leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha from July 2, 1991 to May 15, 1996.
He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1988 followed by two more terms in 1990and 1996.
However, he returned to state politics and was made member of the state legislative council in 1986 and continued till 1988 before moving on to national politics again.
Chavan ensured that his disciple Vilasrao Deshmukh was made chief minister when the Congress-NCP government came to power in October 1999.
Chavan's wife Kusumtai breathed her last in January 2003.
Shankarrao Bhaurao Chavan was one of the last Gandhi family loyalists, who had the opportunity to closely watch all three Prime Ministers from the Nehru-Gandhi clan.
Chavan, who enjoyed the rare distinction of assuming the mantle of chief ministership of Maharashtra twice, will be remembered for his role as Union home minister in the Narasimha Rao government, when the Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992.
The 83-year-old leader, who spent nearly six decades in public life hailed from Marathwada and spearheaded the campaign against the powerful Maratha lobby from Western Maharashtra. He was also seen as a leader of all forces opposing the Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar.
Besides Chavan, Marathwada, one of the backward regions of the state, has produced two chief ministers - Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar and Vilasrao Deshmukh.
By infusing discipline in the state administrative machinery, Chavan was termed as a "strict task master" not only by government employees but also by Congress legislators.
He would also be known for pioneering work in the sector of irrigation, specially the ambitious Jaikwadi irrigation project in Marathwada.
Chavan, who first served as chief minister of Maharashtra from 1975 to 1977 and later between 1986 and 1988, was responsible for renaming the state secretariat as Mantralaya.
He also introduced a ban on chewing and smoking of tobacco in government offices and invoked the provisions of Mumbai Police Act to punish the culprits.
Though a strong Gandhi loyalist, Chavan was part of the Sharad Pawar-led Peoples' Democratic Front (PDF) government, that was formed after the toppling of Congress' Vasantdada Patil ministry.
Chavan later formed the Congress Samajwadi Forum along with Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil and others after the fall of the PDF government but later re-joined Congress when Indira Gandhi came to power in 1980.
Born on July 14, 1920, Chavan was an arts graduate from the Madras University and a law graduate from Osmania University.
He started his career as a lawyer but quit the profession after he took a plunge into the "Quit Court" movement in the erstwhile Hyderabad province of Nizam, of which Marathwada was a major part.
During the fight against the Nizam rule, he came in contact with Swami Ramanand Teerth and P V Narasimha Rao.
Coming from a modest background, Chavan took the plunge in the fight against the Nizam's rule and later went on to become the first mayor of Nanded.
His foray into the state politics began with his stint as a member of the state legislative council in 1956.
He, however, got elected to the Assembly the next year from Bhokar constituency and continued to be its member till 1980 when he switched over to national politics and was elected to Lok Sabha from Nanded.
Starting his career at the Centre as an education minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1980, Chavan was assigned important portfolios like external affairs, finance, defence and home in subsequent Congress governments.
He was also the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission 1981 to 1984.
The veteran Congressman was also the leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha from July 2, 1991 to May 15, 1996.
He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha first in 1988 followed by two more terms in 1990and 1996.
However, he returned to state politics and was made member of the state legislative council in 1986 and continued till 1988 before moving on to national politics again.
Chavan ensured that his disciple Vilasrao Deshmukh was made chief minister when the Congress-NCP government came to power in October 1999.
Chavan's wife Kusumtai breathed her last in January 2003.
