Bhubaneswar, Apr 20 (PTI) Veteran Communist leader and former CPI Odisha secretary Dibakar Nayak died here on Sunday, party sources said.

He was 72.

Nayak, who was ailing for some time, breathed his last at the CPI state headquarters Bhagvati Bhavan in the Kharvel Nagar area in the city, they said.

Leaders from different political parties including BJD coordination committee chairman Debi Prasad Mishra, BJD MLA RP Swain, BJD MLA Ganeswar Behera, CPI(M) leader Janardan Pati and many others paid their floral tributes at Nayak’s mortal remains kept at Bhagavati Bhawan.

Nayak influenced by left ideologies had started his political career as a member of AISF, the student wing of CPI. Later he joined the CPI and became its state secretary. He was also a member of the party’s national executive, a party leader said.

Born in Sendchitira village in Bhadrak district, Nayak was also a former editor of the party publication ‘Nua Dunia’.

His body was kept at the party’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar and later taken to his ancestral village in Bhadrak district for last rites. PTI AAM AAM RG