Ramesh Wanjale Dead

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s MLA Ramesh Wanjale (46) died of cardiac arrest in a city hospital at 9.50 pm on Friday.

“Wanjale was brought to the hospital at 8.30 pm with no recordable blood pressure and no pulse. We tried to resuscitate him by administering all emergency medical help, but could not succeed. He was declared dead at 9.50 pm,” said Prasad Mugalikar, director, medical services at Jehangir Hospital.

Wanjale had an appointment for an MRI scan at Joshi Hospital on Friday after he complained of shoulder and spinal pain. “He was advised to undergo shoulder, cervical spine and whole spine screening. He arrived at around 7 pm at the MRI section. He collapsed soon after he was taken for screening. Our doctors revived his heart beat with the help of a cardiac massage and a cardiac defibrillator. But his relatives insisted on taking him to Jehangir Hospital. An ambulance with doctors accompanied him. His son-in-law was with him along with some party workers,” Ashish Atre, radiologist at Joshi Hospital, said.

As news about Wanjale’s condition spread, party workers gathered at Jehangir Hospital where there was heavy police bandobast. Deputy commissioner of police zone I Dnyaneshwar Phadtare said, “As a precautionary measure, we have stepped up police security in the city.”

Wanjale was a colourful personality__ his physique and the gold that he always wore made him stand out. The MLA, who sang Tukaram’s abhangs, was a household name in his Khadakwasla constituency from where he won the assembly election in 2009.

Soon after, he was suspended along with three other MNS MLAs for causing a ruckus in the assembly after Samajwadi party MLA Abu Azmi took the oath in Hindi instead of Marathi. Wanjale had rushed to the well of the house and lifted the podium to disrupt the proceedings. The suspension was later revoked.

Wanjale took on the Congress-NCP alliance in Khadakwasla, which is a part of the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. He defeated Vikas Dangat of the Congress and the BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol.

He wore nearly two kg of gold while campaigning and said he wanted transparency so that he would not be accused of making money after he became an MLA.

Wanjale came into the political arena when he became the sarpanch of Ahire village. He was a Congressman when he became the deputy chairman of the Pune zilla parishad. Wanjale changed parties when he was denied a ticket to contest the assembly polls.