Maharashtra's longest-serving MLA 'Abasaheb' Ganpatrao Deshmukh hangs up boots

After the elections, when the Maharashtra state legislative assembly convenes for a fresh term, many will miss a familiar white-haired, nonagenarian front-bencher in the house.
Ganpatrao Deshmukh, the 93-year old legislator of the Left-oriented Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), has announced his retirement from electoral politics.

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'Abasaheb,' as he is reverentially called, has been a member of all assemblies since 1962 to 2014, barring one term in 1995, when he lost by a slender margin of less than 200 votes, from his constituency of Sangola in Solapur district.
Deshmukh will now be replaced by Bhausaheb Rupnar as the PWP's nominee from the seat.
"I am 93-years-old. My eyesight and hearing have been affected, which would have an impact on my ability to do the work expected of an opposition legislator," explained Deshmukh, adding that however, he would not quit social life.