In a political career spanning five decades, former Union minister Shivraj Patil wore many hats. Apart from being the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Patil held several key portfolios in the Centre as well as plum posts in Maharashtra. The veteran Congress leader passed away on Friday at 90.

Patil started as a municipal council chief before becoming an MLA in the 1970s. In 1980, he was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha from the Latur constituency. By 1999, he was unstoppable, winning seven successive Lok Sabha elections. He became the Lok Sabha Speaker (1991-1996), served as Defence Minister in the 1980s, and held other key portfolios under Indira and Rajiv Gandhi.

His decline, ironically, started with the ascent of the Congress. In the 2004 Lok Sabha election, when the UPA defeated the NDA, he l

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