New Delhi: The untimely demise of Gopinath Pandurang Munde, union minister for Rural Development, has created a void in Maharashtra BJP.Munde, former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, was a prominent OBC face of BJP in the state and was seen as a probable CM candidate in upcoming assembly elections.Let's have a look at some of the little known facts about Gopinath Pandurang Munde who died in a tragic road accident in Delhi on June 03, 2014: 1. Gopinath Pandurang Munde was born in Parli, Maharashtra, on 12 December 1949, to Pandurang Munde and Limbabai Munde in a farmer's family of Vanjari caste (OBC).2. Since Munde came from a humble background, he had to struggle a lot in his childhood days. He studied in a government primary school, in Nathra village of Beed district where classes were conducted "under a tree".3. Munde graduated from a college in Ambejogai with a degree in Commerce. After that, he attended Indian Law School (ILS) in Pune.4. Munde joined politics under influence of Pramod Mahajan, senior BJP leader, who was a friend of Munde from his college days in Ambejogai. Munde joined ABVP, student wing of BJP, and actively participated in political movement against emergency in 1975 and was incarcerated in the Nashik central jail until the Emergency was lifted.5. After the formation of BJP in 1980, Munde became the president of the Maharashtra unit of the BJP's youth wing, the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha. 6. Munde was elected as MLA in Maharashtra assembly for five terms. He was Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha from 12 December 1991 to 14 March 1995 and became the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 46 under the leadership of the then Chief Minister Manohar Joshi in March 1995.7. Munde entered Lok Sabha for the first time in 2009 when he was elected from Beed Lok Sabha constituency. He was the deputy leader of BJP in 15th Lok Sabha. In 2014, he was once again elected from the same Lok Sabha constituency and joined Narendra Modi government as Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking water and sanitation. 8. Munde married Pradnya, the sister of senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. The couple had three daughters - Pankaja, Pratima and Yashashri. Pankaja is an MLA from Parli assembli constituency, Pratima a doctor, and Yashashri is studying law.9. On June 03, 2014, Munde was on his way to Delhi airport when his car was hit by another vehicle at Prithviraj road-Tughlak road roundabout. Munde was sitting on the rearseat of his Maruti SX4 car when it was hit on the side by a Tata Indica at around 6:20 am.10. Munde was immediately brought to AIIMS Trauma Centre. According to doctors, there was no spontaneous breathing, no blood pressure, no pulse and no cardiac activity when he was brought to the Trauma Centre. The Doctors declared Munde dead at 7:20 am. The post mortem report revealed that Munde actually died of cardiac arrest.
