Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 22 (ANI): Former MLA and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bijay Mohanty passed away on Sunday afternoon in Bhubaneshwar.Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik offered his condolences to the family of the deceased leader and said, "His work towards the welfare of the people will always be remembered." https://x.com/Naveen_Odisha/status/1870751050174714303Patnaik also paid his last respects to the mortal remains of the BJD leader.Senior BJD leader Ashok Chandra Panda described Mohanty as a popular figure among the people"...He was a popular figure in the masses. As a man of politics, he had always championed the cause of the downtrodden and particularly people who lived in the slums particularly from 2009 to 2019. For a decade he was a member of the Odisha assembly...," Panda told ANI, paying his tribute."His untimely death is a personal loss to me. I will cherish his memories and I pray to almighty to let his soul rest in peace," the BJD leader said. https://x.com/bjd_odisha/status/1870811506897482053BJD in a post on the social media platform X said Mohanty won on a BJD ticket in 2009 and 2014.Devi Prasad Mishra, Chairman of the Coordination Committee, said that "his public service work will always be remembered", as per BJD. (ANI)