BJD’s Patkura candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla dies aged 82

BHUBANESWAR: Veteran BJD leader and party’s candidate for Patkura assembly segment Bed Prakash Agarwalla passed away on Saturday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here. He was 82.

He had been ailing for past a few months and admitted to a private hospital here.

Election to the Patkura assembly segment, scheduled for the fourth-phase on April 29, is likely to be countermanded.

Agarwalla, a former minister, was elected to the state assembly for the first time in 1974 on Utkal Congress ticket from Kendrapada assembly segment. He had elected from Kendrapada in 1977, 1990 and 2000. He has been representing Patkura since 2009.

As a minister under different regimes, he held key portfolios like finance, rural development, tourism and culture, parliamentary affairs, food supplies and consumer welfare and commerce and transport.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is out of the city for election campaign, condoled the death of the Patkura legislator and former minister and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family.

Naveen described Agarawalla an able administrator. “His death is a great loss for all of us. His organisational ability and dedication for the welfare of the general public will be remembered forever. He was also a close associate of Biju Babu,” said Naveen in his condolence message.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda and many senior leaders cutting across party lines condoled Agarawalla’s death.

Senior BJD leader and minister Ashok Panda, BJD’s Bhubaneswar MP candidate Arup Patnaik and many senior BJD leaders visited the hospital to pay tribute to the departed soul.