Eknathrao alias Balasaheb Vikhe Patil (10 April 1932 – 30 December 2016) was an Indian politician and former Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises & Minister of state of Finance in Government of India. He has served as a Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha at various occasions representing Kopargaon & Ahmednagar.^[1] He was a member of the Indian National Congress but later joined Shivsena.

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Quick Facts Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Government of India, Prime Minister ...

Balasaheb Vikhe Patil
Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Government of India
In office 1 July 2002 – 24 May 2003
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Suresh Prabhu
Succeeded by	Subodh Mohite
Minister of State in Ministry of Finance Government of India
In office 13 October 1999 – 1 July 2002
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded by	V. Dhananjay Kumar
Succeeded by	Anant Geete
Member of Parliament Lok Sabha
In office 1999–2009
Preceded by	Prasad Tanpure
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Constituency	Kopargaon
In office 1998–1999
Preceded by	Maruti Devaram Shelke
Succeeded by	Dilip Kumar Gandhi
Constituency	Ahmednagar
In office 1971–1991
Preceded by	Annasaheb Shinde
Succeeded by	Shankarrao Kale
Constituency	Kopargaon
Personal details
Born	(1932-04-10)10 April 1932 Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
Died	30 December 2016(2016-12-30) (aged 84) Loni, Pravaranagar ( District Ahmednagar ), Maharashtra
Political party	Indian National Congress
Other political affiliations	Shivsena
Spouse	Sindhutai
Children	5 including Ashok Vikhe Patil, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil & Rajendra Vikhe Patil,
Parent	Vithalrao Vikhe Patil (father)
Residence	Ahmednagar

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He was a prominent leader of Maharashtra. He was a Minister in Third Vajpayee Ministry. He was seven time MP of Lok Sabha representing Kopargaon & Ahmednagar. He was firstly appointed as Minister of State in Ministry of Finance (India) & later on appointed as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in Government of India.

He was the eldest son of Vithalrao Vikhe Patil, who started Asia's first Co-operative sugar factory at Loni in Maharashtra.

• The Jeevan Sadhana Gaurav Award from Pune University for lifetime achievement in the field of education and rural development in 2007
• Padma Bhushan by Government of India on 31 March 2010 for his outstanding work in the field of Social Work.^[2]
• D.Sc - Doctor of Science Award awarded in the year 2013 by Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.