Kalaburagi/Mysuru: Senior Communist leader Maruti Manpade (65), passed away at a private hospital in Solapur, Maharashtra, yesterday. He leaves behind his wife and two sons. 

Manpade, who was the State unit Vice-President of Karnataka Prantya Raitha Sangha at the time of his death, was admitted to ESIC Hospital a fortnight back and was later shifted to a private hospital at Solapur where he died on Tuesday morning,  family sources said. 

Manpade was a key voice of farmers and labourers in Karnataka, especially in Kalaburagi district and was more concerned about the growers of red gram, black gram and green gram —the crops that were extensively grown in the district. 

He strongly opposed the duty-free import of pulses in large quantities from the big players, which had caused the fall of prices of domestically grown pulses. 

Meanwhile, a condolence meeting, organised by the Mysuru District Committee of CPI(M), was held at Gandhi Square in city this morning.