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The mortal remains of Union Minister and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was consigned to flames at his native Babhalgaon village in Maharashtra 's Latur District today. Deshmukh's eldest son Amit lit the funeral pyre. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi earlier this afternoon visited Babhalgaon and paid their last respects to Deshmukh. Both Dr. Singh and Gandhi laid a wreath on the wooden coffin in which Deshmukh's body had been placed. The two leaders also sat with Deshmukh's wife for a few minutes before leaving the venue. Gandhi also hugged Deshmukh's wife Vaishali and consoled her. Union Ministers Sharad Pawar, Rajiv Shukla and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also paid homage to Deshmukh. Thousands of persons were also present at the venue to pay their last respects. Deshmukh died at a Chennai super-specialty hospital following multiple organ failure on Tuesday. He was 67. Deshmukh, who was on life-support while undergoing treatment for a serious liver ailment and multiple organ failure, was admitted to the hospital on August 6. The doctors had been planning to retrieve the liver from a donor at the hospital for him. Deshmukh, who previously held the posts of Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj and Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, was a Maratha leader from Latur, Maharashtra . Deshmukh was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra twice, from 1999 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2008. He was earlier undergoing treatment at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai for about a week and had to be shifted to the super specialty hospital in Chennai due to deterioration in his condition. Deshmukh is survived by his wife and three sons.

Vilasrao Deshmukh cremated at native village in Latur