Parlakhemundi king Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away

Bhubaneswar: Parlakhemundi king (erstwhile) and former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in the wee hours today. He was 76.

He is survived by daughter Kalyani Devi.

Gopinath Gajapati was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar due to heart-related ailment and passed away at around 4 am today, said family sources.

He was under medication for over three years.

Born in 1943, the septuagenarian was elected as Berhampur MP on Congress ticket twice in 1989 and 1991. He joined BJP in 1998 before shifting to BJD in 2009.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief at the passing away of Parala Maharaja Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Dev. 

  The Chief Minister also conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Late Maharaja had represented Berhampur parliamentary constituency twice in the Lok Sabha. His death is a great loss for Odisha, said the Chief Minister.

 Parala Maharaja late Gopinath Gajapati will be given a state funeral at Paralakhemundi today and Minister of forest and environment Bikram Keshari Arukh will lay a wreath on the mortal remains of late Gopinath Gajapati and attend the funeral on behalf of the Chief Minister.