BHUBANESWAR: The mortal remains of veteran BJD leader Sugnana Kumari Deo was brought here in a special plane from Chennai and taken to Sankha Bhawan, the BJD headquarters.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, ministers, MLAs, party leaders and workers paid homage to the departed soul at the party headquarters from where the body was taken to the Odisha Legislative Assembly where speaker Pramila Mallik, deputy speaker Saluga Pradhan and several leaders paid their last respects. Sugnana’s last rites will be performed at Khallikote.
Sugnana was elected to the Odisha Assembly ten times from Khallikote and Kabisurjyanagar constituencies. Leaders cutting across party lines condoled her death. Governor Raghubar Das, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda, state BJP president Manmohan Samal and CLP leader Narasingha Mishra were among those who expressed deep grief over her demise.