Veteran BJD leader V Sugnana Kumari Deo dies at 87

Bhubaneswar: Veteran BJD leader and 10-time Odisha MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo died at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday while undergoing treatment, officials said.

She was 87.

Deo breathed her last at about 1 am after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other senior party leaders met her at the hospital on Friday night, they said. She belonged to the royal family of Khallikote.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and many other dignitaries expressed their condolence on the demise of Deo.

"Saddened to know about the demise of V Sugnana Kumar Deo. She was a very senior leader of BJD and she made a lot of contributions towards the party. She has left her mark in the public service by representing both Khalikote and Kabisuryanagar. She was elected to the Assembly 10 times, It is an irreparable loss. May her soul rest in peace and my deepest condolence to the bereaved family", Patnaik said in a post on X.

ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ରାଜନୀତିଜ୍ଞ ତଥା ପୂର୍ବତନ ବିଧାୟିକା ଭି. ସୁଜ୍ଞାନ କୁମାରୀ ଦେଓଙ୍କ ଦେହାନ୍ତ ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ବିଜୁ ଜନତା ଦଳର ବରିଷ୍ଠ ନେତ୍ରୀ ଭାବେ ଦଳକୁ ସଙ୍ଗଠିତ କରିବାରେ ତାଙ୍କର ବଡ଼ ଯୋଗଦାନ ରହିଛି। ଖଲିକୋଟ ଓ କବିସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟନଗର ବିଧାନସଭା ନିର୍ବାଚନମଣ୍ଡଳୀରୁ ୧୦ଥର ବିଧାୟିକା ଭାବେ ପ୍ରତିନିଧିତ୍ୱ କରି ଜନସେବାରେ ସେ ନିଜର… pic.twitter.com/O2A6al1fS6

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) February 10, 2024

Deo was first elected to the Odisha Assembly in 1963. She was an eight-time MLA from Khallikote and a two-time MLA from Kabisuryanagar. She was elected as MLA in 1963, 1974, 1977, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014.