Bhubaneswar, Sept. 8 -- https://images.odishatv.in/uploadimage/library/16_9/16_9_0/recent_photo_1757314252.webp
Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and sitting Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholakia passed away on Monday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 69.
Dholakia began his political career as an independent candidate and was first elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2004. He later joined the BJD and won three more terms in 2009, 2019, and most recently in 2024. Over the years, he emerged as one of the party's key tribal leaders from western Odisha.
During Naveen Patnaik's government, Dholakia served as Minister of Planning and Coordination. He was also known for his grassroots initiatives in Nuapada, including ...