Manikrao Thakre
Manikrao Govindrao Thakre (born 22 August 1954) is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He is a senior leader of Congress. Manikrao Thakre is currently a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and also elected as Deputy Chairperson of the house from August 2016 to July 2018 He was previously a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Indian National Congress from 1985 till 2004 from Darwha (Vidhan Sabha constituency) Constituency. He was later given the Energy Ministry portfolio during Jan 2003 - 2004 and in July 2004, he was one of 22 ministers to be  dropped as minister by the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sushilkumar Shinde. Manikrao has been a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party - Shiv Sena alliance government which ruled Maharashtra up to 1999, especially its handling of the Srikrishna Commission. On July 27, 1998, Manikrao along with R R Patil demanded that the Justice Shrikrishna Commission report be tabled on the floor of the assembly. This forced an adjournment of the assembly. His relentless criticism of the then government in the legislature ensured that when the government lost its mandate.