Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader V Sugnana Kumari Deo passed away on Saturday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai. She was 87.
Deo, who belonged to the royal family of Khallikote died at 12.44 am, said family sources.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had rushed to the hospital and inquired about her health condition on Friday evening.
The ‘Khallikote Queen’ was first elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 1963 and won a total of 10 times in her long political career from the Khallikote and Kabisuryanagar constituencies. She won eigh times from Khallikote and two times from Kabisuryanagar.
Born in Chennai on August 5, 1937, she was elected in 1963, 1974, 1977, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
She was first elected in 1963 on a Congress ticket. She won again from 1974 to 1977 as an Utkal Congress MLA and became the MLA of Khallikote for the third time from 1977 to 1980 with a ticket from the Janata Dal. She became an MLA for the fourth time with the same party from 1985 to 1990. She was elected from Khallikote for the fifth time in 1990. She also won the subsequent election as a Janata Dal MLA in 1995.
Deo was elected from Khallikote on BJD tickets in 2000, 2004; and as the constituency was reorganised, she was elected for two terms in 2009 and 2014 from Kabisuryanagar on BJD tickets.
Though she was a 10-time MLA, she never agreed to become a minister.
Deo’s body, which was brought to Bhubaneswar on Saturday, will be cremated at Khallikote on Sunday.
