BHUBANESWAR: Veteran Congress leader and first chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) Ms Jayanti Patnaik passed away at a private hospital on Wednesday night, source said. She was aged 90.

Jayanti Patnaik is survived by son Prithvi Ballav Patnaik and two daughters. Her spouce, Ex Odisha chief minister and former governor of Assam J. B. Patnaik had passed away in 2015.

Jayanti was once nominated for the Rajya Sabha and three times elected to the Lok Sabha from the Cuttack and Berhampur seat. She was renowned for her literary abilities having translated K.M. Munshi's Krishnavatara in Odia language.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences for the death of the senior Congressman in a tweet, "It was sad to hear about Jayanti Patnaik's passing. She was the wife of J.B. Patnaik, a former chief minister of Odisha". 

President Murmu said, Patnaik was also a distinguished social worker and former member of parliament who won the affection of the state's residents with her commitment and service.  My condolences to her family, friends, and well-wishers."

State Congress President Sarat Pattnayak, Governor Ganeshi Lal of Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the Union, and numerous other politicians from Odisha expressed their condolences on the passing away of the Congress leader.

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