Former mayor of Pune, Mukta Tilak, who was also the serving BJP MLA from the Kasba Assembly Constituency, passed away Thursday after battling breast cancer for the last five years. Tilak was 57.
“In spite of aggressive treatment, the cancer was in an advanced stage and the response to therapy diminished. She passed away at 3.30 pm on December 22 due to advanced cancer,” the Galaxy Care Multispeciality Hospital in Pune said in a statement.
Her mortal remains will be kept for paying of the last respects at the family home in Kesari Wada between 9 am to 11 am on Friday. Last rites will be held at Vaikunth Crematorium after 11 am.
Mukta Tilak was the daughter-in-in-law of freedom movement leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s great-grandson Jayawant Tilak, a veteran Congressman. She was married to Shailesh Tilak.
Born in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, she did most of her education in Pune.
Before joining politics in 2017, she had told The Indian Express that although she had an affinity for the BJP for a long time, she had delayed formally joining the party until her father-in-law, Jayawant Tilak, was alive.
She served as the first citizen of Pune from March 2017 to November 2019. She was fielded by the BJP from Kasba Assembly Constituency in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election in which she defeated Congress’ Aravind Shinde.
Although she was not keeping well, she had travelled to Mumbai from Pune, about 150 kilometres away, to vote in the recent Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad elections.
She is survived by her husband Shailesh Tilak, son Kunal, and daughter Chaitrali. Her last rights will be performed on Friday.