Veteran Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad has passed away on Wednesday morning due to COVID-19.
Gaikwad, 81, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai before succumbing to the virus.
Gaikwad defeated the former chief minister and then Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi from the Mumbai South Central constituency in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Dharavi and also twice the state minister of Maharashtra state cabinet.
Since 1985, he has represented Dharavi which is Asia's largest slum. He represented the Mumbai South Central constituency of Mumbai. He lost the seat to Rahul Shewale in 2014.
Meanwhile, top state leaders have condoled the death of the octogenarian.
