Damodar Rout: End of an Era

Bhubaneswar: Veteran Biju Janata Dal leader and a seven-time Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly Damodar Rout has passed away. He breathed his last at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. He was admitted to the hospital on the 18th of this month and remained critical. With the sad demise of Damodar Rout, a pall of gloom descended in the political circles of the state.

A seven-time member of the Odisha Assembly, Dama Rout has left a legacy in Odisha Politics. A veterinary doctor by profession, Dr. Damodar Rout was a prominent leader of Odisha politics and was active in state politics from the early 1970’s. Popularly known as Dam Babu, he was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly as a member of Janata Party, Janata Dal and Biju Janata Dal.

Born in Jagatsinghpur on July 2nd 1942, Dam Rout was elected seven times as MLA to Odisha Legislative Assembly. Dama Rout was a big follower of Biju Patnaik and had closely worked with him. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket and in 1980 as a Janata Party (Secular) nominee. During the 1990 elections he won as a Janata Dal candidate. He was a strong leader with mass support in the state and particularly in Jagatsinghpur district. He was elected the Assembly both from Balikuda Erasama and Paradip constituencies. Under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, Dama Rour had worked as a minister from 2000 to 2017 and handled as many as 15 portfolios.

Dama Rout was expelled from the Biju Janata Dal in the year 2018, due to his uncalled for remarks and after that he had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. But there, the BJP did not give Dama due recognition and any important responsibility for which he always regretted.

During the 2019 Assembly Elections, Dama Rout contested from Balikuda-Ersma seat of Jagatsinghpur district on a BJP ticket but was defeated.

After that, he distanced himself from the saffron party and wanted to come back to the BJD. A few months later, Naveen revoked Dama’s expulsion order on sympathy grounds after which he returned to the BJD.