BHUBANESWAR: Former Speaker of the Odisha Assembly and senior BJD leader Kishore Mohanty died following a heart attack on Thursday. He was 63.
According to reports, the Brajarajnagar MLA fell ill during a meeting on Thursday evening. He was shifted to a private hospital in Jharsuguda where he breathed his last. He suffered a massive cardiac arrest, sources said.
He is survived by his wife, daughter and son. A soft-spoken and popular leader from the industrial town, Mohanty was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly thrice from the Jharsuguda Assembly constituency and won the Brajarajnagar Assembly seat in the 2019 elections. He was first elected as an MLA in 1990.
Mohanty moved to Brajarajnagar to make way for senior Congress leader Naba Kishore Das who joined the BJD before the 2019 Assembly elections. He held the post of Speaker from 2008 to 2009 and also several other key posts including the government chief whip from 2004 to 2008. He was also elected to the Rajya Sabha (2009-2012). Mohanty was also the chairman of the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC).
He had a major contribution in the formation of Jharsuguda as a district when Biju Patnaik was the Chief Minister.
Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, political leaders from BJD, Congress and BJP and people from all walks of life have condoled the sudden demise of Mohanty. The Governor conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family members and constituents. “His contribution as a political leader and legislator will be ever remembered,” the Governor said.
Expressing grief over Mohanty’s sudden demise, the Chief Minister tweeted, “Deeply shocked to hear about the death of former Odisha Assembly Speaker and Brajarajnagar MLA Kishore Mohanty. He was an outstanding leader and will be remembered for his works as an elected representative.”