Odisha: Ramakrushna Patnaik, a veteran politician and former Finance Minister of Odisha, died on Friday morning at his Bhubaneswar home after a protracted illness. According to his daughter Anita Subhadarshini, the former minister died at 9:30 a.m.
His lifeless remains will be carried to Swargadwara in Puri, where his last rites will be performed and he would be burned to flames, according to sources. Patnaik was elected to the Legislative Assembly six times, including four times from Ganjam's Kodala constituency on Janata Party, Janata Dal, and Biju Janata Dal tickets in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000. In 1971, during his first term as an MLA, he was selected as the State's Health Minister.
He was the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in 1998, while Janaki Ballabh Patnaik was the Chief Minister. During Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's first term, he served as Finance Minister from 2000 to 2002. He was known as the Ganjam Tiger because he was a powerful leader in the region. Former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik counted Patnaik among his trusted advisers. Patnaik has a long and illustrious political career, marking significant milestones along the way.
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