Bhubaneswar: Veteran politician and 10 times MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo passed away at a private hospital in Chennai following a prolonged illness. She was 87.
She was undergoing treatment for the last few days due to a serious illness. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also met her at the hospital on Friday evening in Chennai and enquired about her health. He also discussed with the doctors and prayed for her recovery.
5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V Kartik Pandian, Housing and Urban Development Minister Usha Devi, Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das accompanied the Chief Minister to Chennai.
Deo, known as the queen of the erstwhile princely State of Khallikote had started her political carrer in 1961 after being elected to Odisha Assembly for the first time from Khalikote constituency.
She was elected eight times from the Khalikote Assembly segment and twice from Kabisuryanagar in Ganjam district.
Born on August 5, 1937 in Ganjam, Deo was not only a politician but also a social activist.
Her father’s name was Raja RVM Niladri Deo and husband was Purunchandra Mardaraj Deo.
She was elected to the Assembly in 1974,1977,1985, 1990, 1095,2000,2004,2009 and 2014.
She was elected as an MLA from 2009 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2019 on Biju Janata Dal ticket Kabisuryanagar constituency. She had been a member of various committees of the Assembly. But, she had denied offers of Cabinet berth.
Her mortal remains will reach Bhubaneswar in special aircraft from Chennai in the evening. The body will be taken to her residence in Khalikote for last rites.
