Madhu Dandavate

Madhu Dandavate Biography

Madhu Dandavate was an Indian politician and writer. A Janata Party leader, he has served as a parliamentarian and cabinet minister of Morarji Desai and V. P. Singh’s government, where he served the portfolios – Railways (1977–1979) and Finance (1989-1990) respectively. He was married to Pramila Dandavate, a political activist from Mumbai, associated with the Socialist Party and later with the Janata Party. He served as the President of All India Life Insurance Employees Association for long 24 years till his death. It was a non-political association of LIC employees.

He was born in 21 January 1924. He entered politics in the 1960s and came to prominence with the early 1970s. He was member of Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1970 and the following year he contestant for Lok sabha elections for the first time where he emerged as the winner. Since 1971, he has won Lok sabha elections successively for 5 times till 1990. Thus he had an illustrious career as a parliamentarian for almost two decades. Rajapur in Konkan, Maharashtra was his constituency.

Known as a prominent opposition leader during the reign of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he was also jailed for his protests against Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.   Madhu Dandavate was also in same Bangalore jail where Snehalata Reddy was imprisoned and he has quoted in his memoir about the tortures she had to face in the silence of nights. He spent 18 months in Bangalore jail and was later transferred to Yerwada jail at Pune.

He served as the Minister for Railways in the Morarji Desai Ministry and known for his improvements in the second class compartments of trains. He also served as the Finance minister in the cabinet of V. P. Singh. Dandavate died on 12 November 2005 aged 81. His wife predeceased him.

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Updated: February 05, 2016