Keshavrao Jedhe

Keshavrao Jedhe Biography

Keshavrao Jedhe was a prominent Congress leader and freedom fighter from Mumbai. He served as the Chairman of Samyukta Maharashtra Movement in 1956, which demanded a separate Marathi-speaking state from then-bilingual State of Bombay.The famous Swargate chowk in Pune is named after this leader. Following the death of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, he was unhappy with Congress leaders. So h left Congress Party to Peasants and Workers Party (PWPI). Though he contested in the first Lok Sabha elections, following his loss to his friend N. V. Gadgil from Congress, he returned to Congress in 1952.

His full name is Keshavrao Marutrao Jedhe. He was born in Pune on May 9, 1886. He joined Congress in the 1930s and was associated with Freedom struggle movement. He won his first elections in Mumbai state in 1934 representing Bahujan Samaj of Maharashtra. Following Lokmanya Tilak's death he took over congress leadership in Pune. He became Party president in 1938 and was active with Congress till the death of Mahatma Gandhi. He was instrumental in building Congress Bhavan in Pune. He inspired the prominent politician Yashwantrao Chavan to join Congress.

Following Indian Independence and partition, the whole India was integrated and later divided into states based on language spoken. When States Re-organisation Committee recommended a bi-lingual state for Maharashtra-Gujarat with Mumbai as state capital, it didn’t go well with both Marathi speaking and Gujarati speaking people, and both groups demanded separate states. Marathi speaking people were led by Keshavrao under Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti formed in the year 1956. Jedhe Mansion was once the centre of political and social activities in Pune and Maharashtra during the period 1930s to 1960s. Keshavrao Jedhe passed away in 1959.

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Updated: June 19, 2016