Chandrapur, May 31 (IANS): Thousands of people along with senior leaders from all major political parties bid a tearful adieu to the sole Congress MP from Maharashtra, Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar, who was cremated with full state honours, here on Wednesday.
Dhanorkar, 47, representing Chandrapur, passed away early on Monday at a private hospital in New Delhi following a brief illness.
He is survived by his wife and Warora Congress MLA Pratibha Dhanorkar and their two sons.
Dhanorkar's mortal remains were brought from New Delhi to his native town Warora on Tuesday afternoon to enable people pay their last respects.
This morning, the funeral cortege was taken around the town to the Warora crematorium with thousands of Congress workers from all over Maharashtra, leaders of all political parties and others paying their last respects to him.
After the flower-bedecked body draped with the National Tricolour was brought to the crematorium in a long procession, the Maharashtra Police accorded him a gun salute as the crowds, many with tears in their eyes, watched the solemn ceremony braving the scorching heat.
The Congress state President, Nana Patole, other top leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Mukul Wasnik, Manikrao Thakre, Dr. Nitin Raut, Vijay Wadettivar, Yashomati Thakur, were among those who remained present at the last rites, also representatives of all major political parties, including Anil Deshmukh and Sudhir Mungantiwar.
Wreaths were offered on behalf of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party seniors Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who is currently abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, NCP's Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishore Tiwari and more had grieved the passing of Dhanorkar yesterday.
This was a double tragedy for the leading political family of Warora within three days. On May 27, Narayan Dhanorkar, 80 -- the father of Suresh and father-in-law of Pratibha -- passed away after an illness in Nagpur.
Considered a rising political star, Dhanorkar had started his political career with the Shiv Sena in the early 2000s and joined the Congress in 2019, and bagged the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat in his first attempt, keeping the party flag flying in the state.