Bhubaneswar: The mortal remains of veteran BJD leader and former Odisha Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, who passed away early on Tuesday, were taken to the Assembly building and party headquarters Sankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and a host of dignitaries paid their last respect to the late leader. Naveen paid homage and offered floral tributes to Maheswar as his body arrived at Sankha Bhavan, the headquarters of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The CM, who has deeply mourned the demise of the BJD stalwart, placed a wreath on his body.
A guard of honour was accorded to the late leader when his body reached the Assembly complex to enable people to have a last glimpse of Maheswar, also an ex-Minister and five-time MLA.
A large number of dignitaries, including Ministers, BJD leaders and legislators, visited Sankha Bhawan as well as the state Assembly to pay their last respects to the late leader.
The mortal remains of the former Assembly Speaker were carried in a flower-bedecked vehicle from the hospital, where he had breathed his last.
Maheswar passed away at a private hospital in the state capital in the early hours of Tuesday. He was 67.
Maheswar, a former MLA of Puri, suffered a brain stroke and was admitted at a hospital on November 1. His condition was critical and was being treated at the ICU of the hospital. He breathed his last at 3.25 am, hospital sources said.
A five-time legislator, Maheswar was minister in the Naveen Patnaik government from 2011 to 2014 and also from 2017 to 2018 and held portfolios such as law, revenue, panchayat raj and planning and coordination. He was Speaker from May 2004 to March 2008.
