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Bhubaneswar: Former Union minister of state and senior Congress leader Kanhu Charan Lenka died on Friday at the age of 86. Lenka, who had served as MoS for railways and agriculture in the PV Narasimha Rao govt, was a prominent Odisha politician with a public life spanning over four decades.Born on March 2, 1939, in Cuttack district, Lenka came from a modest background and entered public life through grassroots political work. He joined the Congress Seva Dal in 1957, starting his political journey.Lenka quickly rose through the ranks of the party, emerging as a key organiser in Odisha. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Choudwar four times — in 1971, 1974, 1980 and 1995 — and also served as a state minister.
Known for his loyalty to the Congress leadership, he stood firmly with former PM Indira Gandhi during turbulent phases, including the internal splits within the party.His rise to national politics came with his election to the Rajya Sabha, where he served from 1988 to 1994. His tenure in Delhi coincided with India’s economic transition in the early 1990s, during which he held dual portfolios as minister of state for railways and minister of state for agriculture in the Narasimha Rao council of ministers.
Lenka, regarded as one of Odisha’s seasoned parliamentarians, died at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar following age-related complications. He is survived by his wife Bijaya Laxmi Lenka, a son and a daughter.Expressing grief over his death, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi posted on X: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of senior leader, former Union Minister and former Member of Parliament Kahnu Charan Lenka. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family during this hour of grief and pray to Lord Shri Jagannath for the peaceful repose of the departed soul.”Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, former CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das, among others, condoled his death.
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