Mumbai: Congress leader Patangrao Kadam (72) passed away at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Friday. The former Maharashtra forest minister and founder of Bharati Vidyapeeth was admitted to the privately-run Lilavati Hospital last Saturday. He is survived by a son, Vishwajeet Kadam, who is the Youth President of Maharashtra Congress.

Patangrao Kadam was suffering from renal dysfunction and had been placed on ventilator support. The Congress leader had been unwell for the last two to three months, but in the last week, his health deteriorated. He was the founder of Bharati Vidyapeeth and several other educational  institutes. A staunch Congressman, he has held ministerial portfolios such as cooperation and forest in the Congress-NCP government during the period of 1999 to 2014.

Kadam’s mortal remains will be kept at his residence on Saturday morning from 7.30 to 9.30 am and at Bharati Vidyapeeth from 10.30 to 11.30 am. The last rites will be performed at Sonhira Sugar Factory, Wangi taluka, in Sangli district at 4 pm.