Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, March 6: Tributes were paid to the eminent socialist leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, who died at SCB Medical College and Hospital here today following protracted illness.

He was 90 and is survived by his wife Saraswati Swain. The state will observe a day's mourning in Ray's honour tomorrow.

After being taken to his residence, Ravenshaw University and MS Law College in Cuttack, Ray's body was brought to the Lohia Academy in Bhubaneswar, where it would be kept in state. According to the leader's last wishes, his body would be consigned to flames at his native village Bharagarh in Khurda district tomorrow.

People from all sections of the society condoled ray's demise. In his condolence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Saddened by demise of former LS Speaker Shri Rabi Ray. He made a mark as a committed leader & respected Parliamentarian."

In his condolence message, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: "As the Speaker of the ninth Lok Sabha, Ray had established a rich tradition in the conduct of the House. He had earned the respect of all for his ability and impartiality in conducting the House."

Odisha governor S.C. Jamir described him as an eminent parliamentarian and socialist.

An ardent believer in socialism from his college days, Ray was the president of Ravenshaw University (then college) and MS Law College student unions in 1948 and 1949, respectively. He had joined the Socialist Party in 1948. The British had arrested Ray for unfurling the national flag at Ravenshaw College.

In 1956, under the leadership of Dr Rammanohar Lohia, he founded the Socialist Party in Odisha. He was also a member of the national executive of the Socialist Party during that period.

In 1967, Ray was elected to the fourth Lok Sabha from Puri constituency. In 1974, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha. Between 1977 and 1980, he had also been the Janata Party general secretary. In the Morarji Desai government, Ray was the Union minister of health and family welfare from January 1979 to January 1980.

In 1989, Ray returned to the Lok Sabha on the Janata Dal ticket from the Kendrapara constituency. On December 19, 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the ninth Lok Sabha. In 1991, he was re-elected to the tenth Lok Sabha from the same constituency. Since 1997, he was associated with the Lok Shakti Abhiyan, a non-political organisation.

Ray earned the respect of the common man for allowing Lok Sabha proceedings to be telecast live. His eventful tenure as the Speaker witnessed both the victory and defeat of the V.P. Singh government in the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha.