Career
In 1971, he was elected to the 5th Lok Sabha from Bhadrak constituency in Odisha as an Indian National Congress candidate. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from the same constituency as an Indian National Congress (I) candidate. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 as a Janata Dal candidate from the same constituency.
He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 from the same constituency as a Biju Janata Dal candidate.
He was the Union Minister of water resources in Atal Bihari Vajpayee led government from 2000 to 2004.