Bhubaneswar: Condolences poured in from various quarters following the demise of former Odisha minister and veteran political leader Bhagabat Prasad Mohanty late on Saturday night. The 92-year-old veteran leader was suffering from age-related ailments and passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar.
"He was active and his health condition was good yesterday. At around 12 PM, he complained of pain in his stomach and we rushed him to Apollo Hospital. Later, he died around 1 AM," informed Mohanty's relative, Ambika Prasad Das.
Mohanty was elected MLA thrice from Kendrapara Assembly Constituency. He was elected to the Odisha Assembly in 1971 as Praja Socialist Party (PSP) candidate and later in 1985 and 1995 as a Congress nominee.
He had also served as the Higher Education Minister of the state.
Describing him as an able administrator and a seasoned politician, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also expressed grief at the passing away of Mohanty and conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
Condoling the demise of Mohanty, National BJP Vice President Baijayant Panda tweeted: "Rest in Peace..Though this Bhisma Pitamah of Kendrapada politics was in a different party, he developed great fondness for me & was very supportive of my efforts to serve people & work for development."
Similarly, Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said, "The State lost its veteran political leader. He led a practical life and he was straight forward. His demise has created a vacuum which cannot be filled by anyone."
"I am disturbed that a good personality is no more with us. May his soul rest in peace. He has set a precedent in politics which will definitely inspire others," said senior journalist Rajaram Satpathy.
Following his demise, Mohanty's mortal remains were taken to Congress Bhawan and later will be taken to his native village in Kendrapara district for last rites.