If his rise to power was meteoric, the fall from grace was no less dramatic. Now in jail for murdering his cousin and Congress leader Pavanraje Nimbalkar, life has come full circle for former Maharashtra home minister Padmasinh Patil.
It all started in 1970 when Sharad Pawar spotted Dr Patil, an obscure medical practitioner, and brought him into politics. He became a member of the Osmanabad zilla parishad and in 1978 was elected as MLA.
Pawar rewarded his ?blue-eyed boy? with a place in his Cabinet and in 1986, Patil became deputy speaker of the Assembly. He held plum portfolios like irrigation, energy and home. His sister?s marriage to Pawar?s nephew Ajit Pawar, cemented Patil?s ties with his mentor.
Patil first drew swords with aide and cousin Pavanraje Nimbalkar after the P B Sawant Commission, inquiring into corruption charges levelled by social activist Anna Hazare, indicted Patil for corrupt practices in the management of the Terna co-operative sugar factory. The report said Patil tried to pressurise Vilas Pawar, an employee of the sugar factory, to make statements against Nimbalkar who was Osmanabad district central co-operative bank chairman from 1996 to 2002.
Patil was dropped from the Cabinet and his son Rana Jagjitsinh Patil was sworn in.
Patil, however, rebounded and defeated Shiv Sena?s Ravindra Gaikwad from Osmanabad in the recent Lok Sabha polls. But instead of a ministerial bungalow in Lutyens Delhi, Patil had to settle for a dingy room in the Vashi APMC police station.