Belagavi: The Karnataka government has declared a three-day state mourning and announced a public holiday on December 11 to honour veteran leader and former Chief Minister S. M. Krishna, who passed away at his Bengaluru residence early Tuesday morning. A family source revealed that the 92-year-old statesman had been unwell for some time.
Krishna's last rites will be conducted with full state honors on Wednesday in his hometown in the Mandya district. To pay tribute to the late leader, the state government has declared a holiday for all government offices, schools, and colleges on December 11. The official notification states that the three-day mourning period, from December 10 to 12, will include flying the national flag at half-mast on all government buildings and the suspension of all official entertainment programs.
Born on May 1, 1932, in Somanahalli, Mandya district, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna began his political journey in 1962 by winning the Maddur Assembly seat as an independent candidate. He initially aligned with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Indian National Congress, with which he had a nearly 50-year-long association. In January 2017, Krishna resigned from the Congress, citing the party's internal struggles, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) two months later.
In January 2023, Krishna retired from active politics, citing his advanced age. He served as Karnataka's 16th Chief Minister from October 1999 to May 2004 and held several other prestigious roles, including Governor of Maharashtra and External Affairs Minister under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government from 2009 to 2012.
