BHUBANESWAR: Former Balasore
MLA and a firebrand leader Arun Dey passed away at a private hospital here on Monday at the age of 75. He was undergoing treatment for post Covid complications.
Dey, a native of Balasore, was staying in Bhubaneswar. People of his constituency fondly call him ‘Dada’. He had joined
Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1971 and continued in the party till 1994.
He was elected as Balasore MLA for the first time in 1974. In 1995, he fought the assembly election as an independent candidate and won the seat from Balasore. Later he joined Orissa Gana Parisad (OGP) and became MLA on
OGP ticket in 2004.
This five-time MLA was fighting for the rights of labourers.
Odisha governor
Ganeshi Lal, chief minister
Naveen Patnaik, Union education minister
Dharmendra Pradhan, housing and urban development minister
Pratap Jena and other leaders cutting across party lines condoled the death of Dey.