Former Odisha Assembly speaker Maheswar Mohanty dies at 67

Former Odisha Assembly speaker Maheswar Mohanty died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. He was 67.

Former Odisha Assembly speaker Maheswar Mohanty passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. He was 67. Mohanty, a leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and a former minister, is survived by his wife and two sons.

Political Career

Mohanty was elected to the assembly from the holy town of Puri five times - as a Janata Dal candidate in 1995 and as a BJD nominee in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014. An advocate by profession, he was also the chairperson of the Puri Municipality twice before being elected to the assembly.

In the Naveen Patnaik government, he held portfolios such as Panchayati Raj, Revenue, Law and Tourism, between 2011 and 2019. He was the speaker of the assembly from 2004 to 2008.

Tributes Pour In

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described Mohanty as a popular leader with high organisational skills. "He played an important role in the development of Puri as an MLA and minister," Patnaik said. Mohanty's body was taken to the BJD state headquarters and the assembly where a guard of honour was accorded to him. MLAs cutting across party lines gathered to pay their last respects to him at the assembly.

When the body was being taken from Bhubaneswar to Puri, a large number of people gathered on both sides of the road. Congress legislative party leader Narasingha Mishra said, "Maheswar was very close to me and I have never seen such a great speaker and an administrator like him. He had no enemy as people across party lines were his guests at some time or the other."

Puris BJP MLA Jayant Sarangi, who defeated Mohanty in the 2019 assembly elections, said, "We knew each other since 1985. I have worked under his leadership in the Puri Municipality. However, later I joined the BJP following a brief difference of opinion with him. However, our personal relationship was great."

A Great Loss

In February 2014, when Mohanty was the minister of revenue and disaster management some miscreants opened fire at him near Amala Club in Puri. He had sustained bullet injuries on his hand and shoulder, said BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra, describing him as a tough leader who held the fort of BJD in the coastal region. "We will be missing a great loving and caring friend," he said.

Governor Raghubar Das, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan were among the leaders who condoled Mohanty's demise.

The passing away of Maheswar Mohanty is a great loss to the state of Odisha. He was a popular leader, an able administrator and a great human being. He will be remembered for his contributions to the development of Puri and for his work as the speaker of the assembly. His death has left a void in the political landscape of Odisha.