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It's all well that ends well for veteran Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai

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In the assembly elections, Shiv Sena warhorse Subhash Desai faced a shock defeat by just around 4,756 votes at the hands of former deputy mayor Vidya Thakur (BJP) from the Sena stronghold of Goregaon. However, Desai, who was among the chief negotiators of the Sena with the BJP along with Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai, was inducted as a minister in the state government and is likely to be given the industries portfolio. Incidentally, now Desai and Thakur, who is a minister of state will be colleagues in the council of minister. Desai's aides attribute his defeat to the Narendra Modi wave, which may have swayed a section of traditional Sena voters, and the substantial presence of non-Maharashtrians in the constituency.

Low-profile Desai, who was the Shiv Sena group leader in the previous state legislative assembly, was born on July 12, 1942 at Malgund in Ratnagiri, which is the birthplace of poet Keshavsut. Desai started working with the Shiv Sena soon after its establishment in 1966, has participated in many causes close to the hearts of Hindutva proponents like re-conversion of Hindus converted to Islam and Christianity, anti cow-slaughter agitations and "rescuing" Hindu girls kidnapped by men from other faiths.

In 1990, Desai, who is the publisher of the Sena organ Saamna, won the assembly polls from Goregaon, which was a socialist stronghold, having being represented by stalwarts like P.B (Baburao) Samant and Mrinaltai Gore, against labour leader Sharad Rao of the Janata Dal. However, the election was set aside in 1994 on grounds that it had been fought on the issue of Hindutva and Desai, a close associate of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, was barred from contesting for six years. He was however, appointed as the head of the Rest of Maharashtra statutory development corporation in 1995 when the Shiv Sena and BJP government first came to power and was elected to the assembly again in 2004.

Desai, who controls the Prabodhan Goregaon trust, which has established a sports complex and a blood bank, jogging park, medicine bank, swimming pool, is known for meeting people and Shiv Sainiks at the local Sena shakhas in Goregaon. The father of three, who likes reading, listening to music and gardening and holds a diploma in journalism, is known to be phlegmatic and upfront, but unlike some of his party associates is not arrogant. "He is a good organiser. He takes the lead in organising events," said old-time associate Shashank Kamat, pointed to how Desai had organised shows of the famous play Janata Raja on Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a herbal utsav to popularise herbal medicine, blood donation drives and a Savarkar mahotsav on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

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