Bhalchandra Vaidya (22 June 1928 – 2 April 2018),[1] also known as Bhai Vaidya, was an Indian politician who served as the Home Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, a revolutionary, Member of Legislative Assembly of the state of Maharashtra, Mayor of Pune city, veteran Socialist leader and head of the Socialist Party of India.

[2] Bhai was born on 22 June 1928 at Dapode village in Velhe taluka, Poona District in a Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (popularly known as CKP) family.

Bhai was at the forefront of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti movement with his mentor Shreedhar Mahadev Joshi and other influential leaders of the time.

This is a big loss for the state.”[8] Prakash Javadekar, Union human resource development minister, recounted his recent meeting with Vaidya on Padwa.

He was happy to know that the President was positive about the event,” he said, adding that Vaidya would always remember number by heart and would recount them in minutes when others struggled with directories.