Sambalpur: Former Odisha MLA Raseswari Panigrahi passed away at her residence in Sambalpur on Monday evening following a brief illness. She was 79.
Panigrahi, who represented Sambalpur as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator, was undergoing treatment for some neurological complications at her residence in Shanti Nagar area of Sambalpur. She breathed her last at around 8.50 pm, family sources said.
A distinguished gynaecologist, Panigrahi was elected to Odisha Assembly from Sambalpur constituency on a BJD ticket in 2014. However, she lost the 2019 Assembly polls from the same constituency in 2019.
Panigrahi, sister of late Minister and MP Sriballav Panigrahi, had resigned from the BJD ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections in the st
ate.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, meanwhile, condoled the demise of the former legislator. “Saddened to know about the demise of noted doctor and former Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family. May her soul rest in peace,” Majhi said in a post on X.
BJD president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik also expressed profound grief over the demise of Panigrahi, saying her contributions to the society will be remembered by all.
Panigrahi’s entry into active politics came after a long and distinguished career in the medical and healthcare sector.
An accomplished doctor by profession, Panigrahi completed her MBBS from Burla and joined government service in 1972 as a specialist in gynaecology and initially served at the District Headquarters Hospital in Sundargarh.
Over the years, she went on to serve as a professor at a medical college, contributing significantly to healthcare and medical education until her retirement.
Her academic journey began at Ispat Vidyalaya in Rourkela, followed by higher studies at Gangadhar Meher College in Sambalpur.