Protagonist of separate Vidarbha state and former MP Jambuwantrao Dhote was laid to rest at Pimpri village in the district today, with a large number of people attending his funeral.
Dhote (83) passed away of cardiac arrest here yesterday.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The funeral procession started from his local Agrawal Layout residence on Waghapur Road and taken to nearby Pimpri Lakhina village where he has a farmhouse, on a hearse tailed by hundreds of vehicles.
The Forward Bloc leader, known as the 'Lion of Vidarbha' for aggressively championing the cause of statehood to the region in Eastern Maharashtra, was buried as per his wish.
Personalities from all walks of life, including politicians across party lines, attended the funeral and the condolence meeting held thereafter.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit Congress president Ashok Chavan, the Opposition Leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad have expressed their condolence through messages.
The firebrand leader had started his political career in home district Yavatmal, where he won the Nagar Parishad elections before entering in the state-level politics.
He was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly five times and won his first Lok Sabha election in 1971 as a Forward Bloc candidate.
He lost the Lok Sabha elections from Nagpur to Gev Awari owever in 1977. He made a successful comeback in 1980 when he was again elected to the Lower House of Parliament from Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, as Congress (I) candidate.
However, Dhote, who had supported former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during Emergency, resigned from Congress in 1983.
He founded Vidarbha Janta Congress (VJC) on September 9, 2002 to focus on the statehood demand.
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