Pipili: With only two days left for Pipili Assembly constituency to face by-elections, Congress party candidate for the by-poll Ajit Mangaraj died of COVID-19 Wednesday, a party source said.
Politicians and public cutting across party lines expressed grief as the news of Mangaraj’s death broke.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over his death and offered condolences to his family members.
“The sudden demise of Mangaraj is a great loss to the Congress and the state at large,” Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said.
“I am saddened to learn about the sudden demise of Congress Pipili by-poll candidate Ajit Mangaraj while the electioneering is on. I offer my condolences to his family and pray Lord Jagannath for the salvation of the departed soul,” Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly and BJP leader Pratipta Kumar Naik wrote on Twitter.
Mangaraj had complained of breathing difficulties while campaigning April 7 morning. He was immediately rushed to a government hospital in Pipili and then shifted to Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar after being diagnosed with the deadly disease.
Ajit was pitted against nine other candidates for the by-election including BJD’s Rudra Pratap Maharathy and BJP’s Ashrit Pattanayak. However, with the demise of Mangaraj, Pipili Assembly constituency by-polls have been put on hold, Odisha CEO Sushil Lohani said.
It may be mentioned here that the by-polls were necessitated following the untimely demise of BJD legislator Pradeep Maharathy.
