Shivamogga: Former Bhadravathi MLA and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) leader Appaji Gowda passed away on Wednesday night in District McGann Hospital in Shivamogga. He was 67.
Gowda had complained of respiratory ailments and was admitted to a private hospital in the city. He had tested positive for COVID-19 following which he was shifted to McGann hospital. After his health worsened, he breathed his last and lost the COVID battle. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
Appaji Gowda started his career as an employee in Visvesvaraya Iron & Steel Plant in Bhadravathi. After becoming a labour union leader, Gowda decided to join politics. He had won the assembly elections in 1994 as an independent candidate. He also defeated his arch-rival BK Sangamesh of Congress in 1999.
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His political career grew by leaps and bounds when he registered remarkable victory after defeating Congress leader C M Ibrahim, who was considered to be one of the closest aides of former CM Siddaramaiah. Later in 2018, Gowda was defeated by Sangamesh on a Congress ticket.
Last month, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had also contracted the novel coronavirus following which he was admitted to Manipal Hospital. A lot of political leaders have tested positive for the deadly infection since the last month.
Karnataka has registered 91,018 active COVID-19 cases and the death toll is pegged at 5,837. A total of 2,54,626 patients have been cured and discharged till date and the state has total 3,51,481 cases.
With agency inputs
