Former Athamallik and Birmaharajpur MlA, socialist leader and former teacher Surendra Pradhan died on Thursday at his residence at Kishornagar in Anguul district at the age of 88.
Pradhan was MlA from Athamallik from Praja Socialist Party in 1967 and from Birmaharajpur from Janata Dal in 1977. He was a follower of Ram Monohar lohia and was also close to Sarangadhar Das, former lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, former Union Minister Samarendra Kundu, Kissan Patnaik and Gananath Pradhan.
He was associated with various socialist, environmental and displacement and farmers’ movements. Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat, Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik, Sambalpur MP Nagendra Pradhan, MlAs Sanjib Kumar Sahu, Ranedra Pratap Swain, Rajanikanta Singh, Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, Sanatan Mahakhud, Mehes Sahu, former Minister Panchanan Kanungo, besides people from various walks of life expressed condolence on demise of Pradhan.