New Delhi: Ravi Naik, a renowned leader in Goan politics, has passed away on the morning of October 15, 2025, at the age of 79. He suffered a heart attack at his home and was rushed to a private hospital in Ponda, where he was declared dead. Later, his body was brought back to his residence, where supporters, and well-wishers collected to pay their respects.
Naik served as Goa’s Chief Minister twice and was the state’s Agriculture Minister at the time of his death. He was a respected figure, especially among the Bhandari community, and was known for championing the rights of kuls and mundkars. He also became the first MLA to suggest creating a third district in Goa.
His political journey began as a councilor in the Ponda Municipal Council. In 1984, he was elected as an MLA from Ponda on an MGP ticket. Over the years, he held important roles in different political parties- he served as a Congress MP from North Goa in 1998, joined the BJP in 2000 and became Deputy Chief Minister, returned to Congress in 2002, and later served as Congress president and Home Minister under the Digambar Kamat-led government. In 2021, he rejoined the BJP and contested the 2022 assembly elections from Ponda.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed his condolences, calling Naik a respected Goan leader whose decades of work made a real difference for the people. To honor him, the state government announced three days of mourning.
He was admitted to a private hospital in Ponda, Goa,On Monday. Later that night he was declared dead. He was widely respected as one of the leading figures of the Hindu Bahujan Samaj, a large community that has faced discrimination in the past.
He leaves behind his wife, his two sons Roy and Ritesh with their spouses, and three grandchildren.