Vijaysingh Mohite-Patil

Vijaysingh Shankarao Mohite-Patil (born June 12, 1944) is a former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra On 25 December 2003, he was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.^[1][2] and was a Minister for Rural Development.^[3] He started his career as Sarpanch of Akluj in Solapur district. He also served as President of Solapur Zilla Parishad from 1971 to 1979. He has been the MLA from the Malshiras constituency since 1980. He has also established a school, Nursing College and D.Ed College in Malshiras. He is responsible for making NCP as a most powerful party Solapur district.
However once a very powerful leader not only in Solapur District but also entire Western Maharashtra, his fall from position of high power has been rather quick. Elections of 2009 dealt him a severe blow. His traditional constituency of Malshiras had become Reserved Seat post delimitation exercise forcing Vijayrao to shift to neighbouring Pandharpur seat. Internal groupism, caste politics & tactical support of Ajit Pawar to rebel candidate Bharat Bhalke over official NCP candidate Mohite-Patil led to defeat of Mohite-Patil by small margin. This has been first defeat in any election for Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil. Hopes of rehabilitation were briefly raised with possibility of nomination to Legislative Council or at least organisational post like Head of Party State Unit. However these hopes did not materialize signaling party's intention to overlook Mohite-Patil. Since this sidelining by the party Mohite-Patil has turned rather low key.^[4].Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, who had been sidelined in the party for some time, breathed a sigh of relief when NCP president Sharad Pawar suggested his name for the post of the president of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Sugar Factories Federation..^[5]
He is very actively involved in the various issues related with farmers.

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