Senior socialist leader and writer G P Pradhan died at a hospital in Pune today following a prolonged illness. He was 88. Pradhan, former leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, had been in the forefront of the socialist movement in the state. <br/> <br/>Pradhan's body has been donated for medical research. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Union Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde have condoled the demise of the senior leader and freedom fighter.<br/> <br/>Pradhan had participated in the 1942 Quit India movement and was jailed during the emergency in 1975. He wrote a number of books, including one on Tolstoy, presenting the socialist thought in the Indian context.<br/>