Bengaluru:Not many politicians may have held positions as Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna -- SMK to his friends and the inner circle -- did in his political career spanning over five decades.
Suave and sophisticated with outstanding academic credentials, Krishna played his part with aplomb as the chief minister in promoting the tech sector in Karnataka and building "Brand Bengaluru".
From being a minister on different occasions in the state and at the central government and a Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha member to heading the Congress in Karnataka -- he indeed had a long innings. He served as a member of the legislative Council, Assembly, Speaker, Deputy Chief Minister, Union External Affairs Minister and Governor.
"He played a proactive role in putting Bengaluru on the global map," a senior information technology industry executive said. "He gave a boost to the IT sector during his tenure as the chief minister resulting in Bengaluru growing as an alternative to Silicon Valley in California and generating jobs for youths," he added.
Born in Somanahalli in Karnataka's Mandya district on May 1, 1932, Krishna kicked off his electoral foray in style winning as an independent candidate from Maddur seat against Congress stalwart K V Shankar Gowda in the 1962 assembly elections.
He later associated himself with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Congress. A graduate of Maharaja’s College, Mysuru, he obtained a law degree from the Government Law College here. Further, he studied at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, US, and later at George Washington University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.