Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna passed away at his residence early Tuesday morning, according to his family. A source close to the family indicated that the 92-year-old veteran politician had been ill for some time.
"S M Krishna is no more. He breathed his last at 2:45 am at his residence. Mortal remains are likely to be taken to Maddur today," the source said. Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna is survived by his wife Prema and two daughters Shambhavi and Malavika.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Krishna's demise and termed him as a remarkable leader who was admired by people from all walks of life.
"SM Krishna was a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life. He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. He is fondly remembered for his tenure as Karnataka's Chief Minister, particularly for his focus on infrastructural development. SM Krishna was also a prolific reader and thinker," PM Modi said in a post on X.
In another post, the Prime Minister recalled his past interactions with Krishna and said he cherished those. "I have had many opportunities to interact with Shri SM Krishna Ji over the years, and I will always cherish those interactions. I am deeply saddened by his passing. My condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," the PM said.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also offered condolences on the passing away of SM Krishna and said it was "personal loss" for him.
"Extremely saddened by the passing away of Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Former Union Minister, Shri S M Krishna. A true champion of development, he made significant contributions to the state and the nation. It is a personal loss for me, for we worked as colleagues, both at the State and National level," Kharge said in a post on X.
"His vision, dedication and exceptional public service played a pivotal role in the Karnataka’s progress, while his approach to balance welfare with development placed a global stamp on Bengaluru’s transformative paradigm. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers," the Congress chief said in the post.
From Karnataka CM to EAM To Maha Governor: More about SM Krishna
Krishna served as Karnataka Chief Minister from October 11, 1999, to May 28, 2004. He also served as External Affairs Minister during the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government from 2009 to 2012 and was later Maharashtra Governor.
Born in Somanahalli in Karnataka's Mandya district on May 1, 1932, Krishna, a law graduate, studied in the US graduating from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and The George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He started his career in electoral politics in 1962 by winning the Maddur assembly seat as an independent.
He was initially associated with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Indian National Congress. In March 2017, he switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), bringing an end to his nearly 50-year association with Congress. He announced his resignation from Congress in January 2017, stating that the party was in a "state of confusion" regarding the need for mass leaders.
Former Karnataka CM S M Krishna Passes Away At 92 (ETV Bharat Archives) Krishna served as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from December 1989 to January 1993. He was also a member of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha several times between 1971 and 2014. Krishna was a member of both the Karnataka Assembly and Council and also served as Deputy Chief Minister (1993 to 1994).
He was Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president ahead of the 1999 assembly polls in which the party won and he became the chief minister. Krishna is credited by many for putting Bengaluru on the global map as a fillip given to the IT sector during his tenure resulting in the city growing as India's Silicon Valley'. In January of last year, Krishna announced his retirement from active politics, citing his age as the reason. (With agency inputs)
