By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The shocking death of Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Das fresh added in the list.
The Bargarh Lok Sabha seat in Odisha, presently held by BJP’s Suresh Pujari, has lost as many as 5 sitting and former MLAs in a very short period of time.
First Bijepur MLA Subala Sahu died followed by Brajarajnagar’s Kishore Mohanty, Padmapur’s Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, ex-MLA Bijepur, Ripunath Seth and now Jharsuguda’s Naba Das.
Of these 5 leaders, 3 were Ministers including late Naba Das , late Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha and late Ripunath Seth while Kishore Mohanty was Odisha Assembly Speaker. MLA late Subala Sahu’s Widow Rita Sahu, now a Cabinet Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s Cabinet. Of these 5, 4 belongs to ruling BJD and while late Ripunath Seth belongs to Congress.
Meanwhile, Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday morning paid floral tributes to the mortal remains of State’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Das at his official residence. Many dignitaries and political leaders cutting across party lines paid last respect to the departed soul at his official residence here.
The body is being taken from Bhubaneswar to Jharsuguda in a chopper, sources added. Das was the legislator of the Jharsuguda Assembly Constituency.
The last rites of Odisha Minister Naba Das will be performed in Jharsuguda, family sources said. State Ministers like Ranedra Pratap Swain, Niranjan Pujari and Rita Sahu are joining at the funeral ceremony.
Das was allegedly shot in chest by an ASI of police Gopal Das at Gandhi Chhak in Brajrajnagar area of Jharsuguda district, on Sunday while he succumbed to injuries at a privte hospital in Bhubaneswar.
