Veteran BJD leader V Sugnana Kumari Deo dies at 87

Bhubaneswar, Feb 10 (PTI) 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.

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.