Odisha: Former CM JB Patnaik Passes away at 89

He was admitted to a hospital on Monday after he complained of severe chest pain.

Three-time Odisha Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passed away at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh early on Tuesday morning.

The 89-year-old Congress leader breathed his last at a private hospital at around 3 am.

Patnaik was attending a convocation ceremony at Tirupati Rashtriya Sanskruta University as the chief guest on Monday when he complained of severe chest pain, and he was immediately rushed to a hospital, Patnaik's son-in-law Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said, according to IANS.

His body will be brought back to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday afternoon for cremation at Swargadwara in Puri. The Odisha government has announced a holiday to pay respect to the former CM and declared a seven-day state mourning.

Patnaik served as the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989, and again retuned in 1995 for another four years. Later, he was appointed as the governor of Assam and after serving his term, he returned to Odisha in December, last year.