Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Friday mourned the death of senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Kahnu Charan Lenka.
Lenka passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar this morning. He was 86.
Expressing grief over his death, the CM wrote on X: “I convey my condolences to the bereaved family during this hour of grief, and pray to Lord Shri Jagannath for the peaceful repose of the departed soul.offered condolences to the bereaved family during t
his hour of grief, and pray to Lord Shri Jagannath for the peaceful repose of the departed soul.”
In his condolence message, Naveen mentioned his lifelong dedication to public service and development. “I pray for the eternal peace of his immortal soul and express my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family members,” he wrote on X.
Born on March 2, 1939, Lenka had a long political career spanning over five decades. He served as a Rajya Sabha member (1988–1994) and represented Choudwar Assembly constituency for two consecutive terms (1971-1974 and 1974-1977), again from 1980 to 1985, and later from 1995 to 2000. He also held Union Minister of State portfolios (including Railways and Agriculture) during the P V Narasimha Rao government in the 1990s
He stood firmly with the leadership of Indira Gandhi during Congress’ splits of 1969 and 1978 while serving as General Secretary of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee.