Former Odisha Minister Damodar Rout No More

BHUBANESWAR: Veteran BJD leader and former minister Damodar Rout passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Friday. He was 81. Known as a trusted ally of former chief minister Biju Patnaik, Rout was a 7-time MLA. 

He played a pivotal role in the inception of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 1997 and subsequently held ministerial positions under Naveen Patnaik, overseeing various crucial departments including health, panchayatiraj, cooperation, agriculture, culture, and excise from 2000 onwards. 

Rout's political journey was marked by electoral success, having been elected to the Assembly on seven occasions—five times from Erasama constituency and twice from Paradip—spanning from 1977 to 2014. Notably, he contested against Congress heavyweight Basanta Biswal from Tirtol constituency in Jagatsinghpur during the 1995 Assembly elections, though he did not emerge victorious in either seat. 

In 2019, following his expulsion from the BJD, Rout joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the Assembly elections, albeit unsuccessfully. However, he later disassociated himself from the BJP in October of the same year. BJD revoked Rout's expulsion on January 1. 

Rout is survived by his son Sambit, an MLA from Paradip, and his daughter Preetinanda Routray, who serves as a corporator in Ward no. 6 under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). 

President Droupadi Murmu, governor Raghubar Das and chief minister Naveen Patnaik among several others leaders of different parties mourned Rout’s death.