Three-time Odisha CM Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passes away

Former Odisha chief minister and senior Congress leader Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passed away in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, early on Tuesday morning. He was 89.

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh): Former Odisha chief minister and senior Congress leader Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passed away in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, early on Tuesday morning. He was 89.

Patnaik was in the temple town to attend the convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Sanskrit University at Tirupati.

He was admitted to a local hospital after he complained of chest pain late last night.

His body will be brought to Bhubaneswar this afternoon and his last rites will be performed in Puri.

Patnaik was born on January 3, 1927. He had been the Governor of Assam between 2009 and 2014. A leader of the Indian National Congress, he was Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999, holding that post for the longest time on record before Naveen Patnaik

After the completion of his early education at Khurda High School, he passed his B.A. degree in Sanskrit from the Utkal University in 1947.

He acquired a Masters in political science from the Banaras Hindu University in 1949.

In 1950, he became the president of the Odisha unit of the Congress youth wing. In 1980, he became the Union Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour.

He first became chief minister of Odisha in 1980 and was in power till 1989. He returned for a four-year stint in 1995. 

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.