: Senior Congress leader and former Minister Raghunath Patnaik passed away in Jeypore of Koraput district on Thursday at the age of 87 years.
He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jeypore and breathed his last at around 8.10 am. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Condolences
Leaders across party lines expressed their grief and condolence over death of Raghunath Patnaik. In a statement Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Raghunath Patnaik was elected from Jeypore to the State Assembly several times and held several important portfolios as a Minister. The state lost an eminent politician and an able administrator. I express my deep condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace.”
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state president of the BJP Basant Panda also expressed their condolences.
Th president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Prasad Harichandan in his condolence message described how Raghunath Patnaik was involved in social work since his childhood. It is said that during his school days he had killed a man-eater tiger and had been awarded for it. He started his long political career as a councillor of Jeypore municipality. Later he become the chairman of the same municipality.
Joined the party in 1954
He joined Congress in 1954 and won the Jeypore Assembly seat in 1961, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1990 and for the last time in 1995.He had become a rebel when he was denied Congress ticket in 2000 and preferred to contest as an independent candidate. But he lost the election.
