Veteran Tribal Leader & Former Odisha MLA George Tirkey Passes Away At 67

Bhubaneswar: Veteran tribal leader and former Odisha MLA George Tirkey passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. He was 67.

Tirkey, a four-time former MLA, had been ailing for the past few months. He was admitted to Rourkela’s Ispat General Hospital (IGH) on Friday after his health condition became critical. As his condition deteriorated further, he was shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in the evening. He breathed his last later in the night, family sources said.

His son, Rohit Joseph Tirkey who is the present MLA from Biramitrapur, and other family members were present at the hospital.

A firebrand tribal and labour leader, Tirkey began his career as a banker before making a foray into politics. He played a key role in strengthening the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Odisha, especially in Sundargarh district.

Tirkey was first elected to the Odisha Assembly in 1995 and 2000 on JMM ticket, later returning as an Independent in 2009. In 2014, he contested and won on a Samata Kranti Dal ticket. Tirkey also made two unsuccessful attempts in Lok Sabha elections from Sundargarh.

Later, he joined the Congress and subsequently the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). After his son’s victory from Biramitrapur Assembly constituency as BJD candidate in 2024, Tirkey gradually withdrew from active politics.

Family sources said his last rites will be performed at his ancestral village Jhunamur under Biramitrapur area of Sundargarh district later on Saturday.