BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned for the day on Sunday as a mark of respect to deceased BJD MLA Pradeep Maharathy.
Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro adjourned the proceedings after the House made obituary references to the Pipili MLA. “The House will remain adjourned till 10.30 am on Monday as a mark of respect to the departed member from Pipili,” he said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, after informing the House about Maharathy’s demise, said the BJD leader was elected to the Assembly seven times from Pipili between 1985 and 2019. He also held the agriculture portfolio thrice in his political career spanning three-and-a-half decades. “He (Maharathy) expired in the early hours of October 4. The death of the ex-minister is an irreparable loss to the State and the members of his family,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik also mourned the demise of Maharathy. “I am deeply saddened over the death of a popular leader like Maharathy. Let Lord Jagannath give peace to his soul,” he said.
Before adjourning the House, the Speaker said Maharathy’s dedication towards his work was extraordinary. “His demise has created a void in State politics,” he said. The BJD MLA’s mortal remains were brought to the Assembly premises, where the legislators paid tributes to him.