Mumbai: Murli Deora, the Congress stalwart from Maharashtra, was a Gandhi family loyalist who had friends across political and corporate spectrum.

77-year-old Deora was India's longest serving Petroleum Minister - completing exactly five years in office in a tenure that began in January 2006 and was spread between UPA-1 and II. During his political career spanning over four decades, he was the longest serving chief of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee which he helmed for 22 years.