Inspired by the teachings of Arya Samaj Keshavrao's Father Sitaram Sonavane decided to relocate his family to Latur for education of his children.

[5] Yashwantrao Chavan selected Keshavrao as a Congress party candidate for the position of Bombay Legislative Assembly Member from Latur Constituency.

[2][1] Subsequently, he won the assembly election in 1962 from Latur Constituency by defeating Ramchandra Govind and became the Co-operative Minister for Maharashtra state.

[8] Despite this huge setback, in 1972 he decided to stand for Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election from Ausa Constituency where he had very strong support in the form of his network of family members and relatives.

Kashinath Jadhav of former Janata Dal had lost by the margin of three thousand votes to Keshavraoji Sonavane in 1977 assembly elections.

[20] So to make the higher education facilities accessible to children of farmers, agricultural laborers, workers; the dignitaries and business people like Manikrao Sonavane (elder brother of Keshavrao Sonawane), Chandrashekhar Bajpai, Ramgopalji Rathi and Keshavraoji Sonawane established Dayanand Education Society in May 1961.

[21] Manikraoji Sonavane, elder brother of Keshavrao and chairman of market committee, convinced the farmers of Latur to contribute to this cause.

[20] Shri Keshavraoji Sonavane, Co-Operative Minister of the Maharashtra state, contributed to this cause by completing all required formal government procedures.

[27] He was mentioned in books Uchalya (The Branded) by Laxman Gaikwad (1987), Yeravaḍā vidyāpīṭhātīla divasa by Kumāra Saptarshī and Māndiyāḷī by Ananta Bhālerāva (1994).

Uchalya novel is an autobiographical account of the life of a stereotyped underdog but of a representative of a section of society thriving on petty crimes.