S K Patil

Sadashiv Kanoji Patil (abbreviated as S. K. Patil) (1898-1981) was a former Congress leader from Maharashtra. A veteran freedom-fighter, he was a qualified journalist, scholar and orator. He was thrice elected Mayor of Bombay and was known as "the uncrowned king of Bombay". He supported, assisted and nurtured a number of institutions, particularly in Mumbai and enriched the city culturally. He was the Member of Parliament from Bombay when it was part of the unified Bombay State. He was a Union Minister during the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and Indira Gandhi. Though a three-time MP, he was defeated by George Fernandes in Mumbai South (Lok Sabha constituency) in 1967 for 4th Lok Sabha. He then fought a by-poll from Banaskantha in Gujarat and rejoined Lok Sabha. In 1969 he left Congress of Indira Gandhi with senior leaders like Morarji Desai and Nijalingappa. He contested from Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat in 1971 on Congress (O) ticket but lost to the Congress candidate.

In the Lok Sabha discussions on the report of the States Reorganisation Commission, on 15 November 1955, Patil demanded that the Bombay city be constituted as an autonomous city-state, laying great stress on its cosmopolitan character. However, Bombay state was partitioned into the present day states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960, and the city of Bombay (now called Mumbai) became the capital of Maharashtra.