Govind M Rathod, newly-elected BJP legislator in Maharashtra dead

Mumbai: Govind M Rathod, a newly elected BJP legislator from Mudkhed Assembly segment in Maharashtra's Nanded district, died following a massive heart attack early on Monday, a party official said. Rathod, 64, was traveling by the Devgiri Expess on Sunday night to come to Mumbai for the scheduled BJP Legislature Party meeting on Tuesday to elect the leader who will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra. Around 10.30 pm, he is believed to have suffered chest pain and a massive attack somewhere near Jalna and succumbed later.

 "It is very sad. He suffered a heart attack while travelling in a train and later expired," state BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told IANS. In the October 15 Assembly elections, Rathod defeated his nearest Congress rival H B V Patil with a margin of 73,291 votes in the Congress bastion of Mudkhed.

 In the current political situation in Maharashtra, the legislator's sudden death has dealt a blow to the BJP as it struggles to cobble up a coalition government or form a minority government with external support.

 With Rathod's death, the strength of the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 122 legislators, has been reduced to 121, plus one seat of a pre-poll ally. This will necessitate at least 23 votes for achieving the simple majority of 145 in the 288-member state Assembly.

 The new Maharashtra government - the composition of which is still not clear - is expected to be sworn-in on October 31 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and over 30,000 other VVIPS, guests and party leaders from around the country.