Bhubaneswar: Sitting Patkura MLA and BJD’s candidate for the constituency in 2019 polls Bed Prakash Agarwalla passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar Saturday.
He was unwell since past few days and was undergoing treatment at a city based hospital here.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with other top leaders of the state have condoled the death of the former minister after news of his demise came to fore.
Describing late Agarwalla as an able legislator and administrator, Patnaik tweeted, “Bed Prakash Agarwalla’s death is a great loss for all of us. His organisational ability and dedication for the welfare of general public will be remembered forever. He was also a close associate of Biju Babu. I convey my deep sympathy to the bereaved family,” tweeted Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik”.
“Saddened by the news of senior leader Bed Prakash Agarwalla’s demise. I pray for the departed soul,” Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted.
Patkura Assembly constituency that comes under Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat was scheduled to go to polls on April 29 in fourth phase. Agarwalla was expected to put up a tough fight against BJP’s Bijoy Mohapatra here. However, with his demise polls are likely to be delayed.
No official notification from the Election Commission on this context, however, has been intimated at the time of filing this report.
It may be mentioned here that he joined politics at the young age of 20 after completing his graduation in Economics from the then Ravenshaw College. In his long political career, he served as a Councillor in Kendrapara Municipality between 1957-70, Chairman of Kendrapara Municipality between 1970-74 and as a National Executive Member Bharatiya Janata Party as well.
After leaving BJP for BJD, he contested and won from Patkura seat twice in 2009 and 2014. This apart, he had been elected as MLA four other times from Kendrapara Assembly seat- in 1974 as Utkal Congress candidate, in 1977 and 1990 as Janata Party candidate and in 2000 as a BJP candidate. He was also former finance minister of Odisha.