BHUBANESWAR: Senior BJP leader and Dhamnagar MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi passed away on Monday morning while undergoing treatment in AIIMS Bhubaneswar. He was 62.
The two-time legislator, a resident of Mangarajpur village under Tihidi block of Bhadrak district, suffering from chronic renal problems was hospitalised in the second week of August after a brain stroke.
State BJP president Samir Mohanty said Sethi was infected by Covid twice and understanding dialysis for a long time.
According to AIIMS sources, Sethi was suffering from multiple ailments. He was kept in AIIMS ICU for nearly a month but was shifted to the ward two days back after his condition improved.
However, his life could not be saved despite the best efforts by the hospital, said a doctor treating him.
Active in student politics, Sethi was first elected from Chandbali in 2000 and then from Dhamnagar in 2019. He was deputy leader of the opposition in the
assembly.
Known for his poetic talent and straightforward approach, Sethi had qualified for the Odisha Public Service Commission twice. He, however, shunned state administrative service for politics.
Sethi dabbled in journalism for a brief period as a sub-editor in a vernacular daily Bishesh Khabar published from Bhadrak.
Highly appreciated for his quality debate in the Assembly, Sethi had endeared his opponents for his poetic expression and strong arguments on public issues.
As the news of Sethi’s demise broke, tributes and condolences started pouring in. Noted personalities from all walks of life visited the hospital to pay their last respect.
Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik among others condoled the death of Sethi, who is survived by his widow, a son and a daughter.