Odisha Mourns the Loss of Influential Tribal Leader George Tirkey

In a significant loss to Odisha's political landscape, noted trade union leader and former MLA George Tirkey has passed away at the age of 67. Tirkey, who had been under treatment at a local hospital for the last three months, died early Saturday morning.

A popular tribal leader, Tirkey was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly four times between 1995 and 2014, serving the Biramitrapur constituency. He championed tribal rights, having served twice on a JMM ticket and once each as an Independent and a Samata Kranti Dal nominee, a party he founded.

His son, Rohit Joseph Tirkey, was recently elected from the same constituency on a BJD ticket. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with BJD president Naveen Patnaik and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo expressing their condolences. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das also mourned the loss, acknowledging Tirkey's unparalleled contribution to public service.

(With inputs from agencies.)