Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a former member of Parliament from Odisha, died at a Mumbai hospital on Sunday. He suffered a brain haemorrhage while being treated for a lung infection. The former Rajya Sabha member was believed to be an influential figure in the ruling Naveen Patnaik government. He was 77 years old.

He was an Indian Administrative Services officer of 1963 batch, who used to be the principal secretary to Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik, before working as a chief strategist and advisor for the current state chief minister, reported the Economic Times.

He is believed to have played an important role in the Biju Janata Dal’s growth till he was sacked in 2012. He was often called the “Chanakya of Odisha politics”, reported Hindustan Times.