SM Krishna breathed his last at his Bengaluru residence.
Former External Affairs Minister and Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna died at around 2:45 a.m. on Monday evening. He was 92 years old. Krishna breathed his last at his residence in Bangalore. He suffered from age-related illnesses. The Karnataka government has declared a 3-day state mourning following the death of the former CM.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the mortal remains of SM Krishna would be taken to his native village Maddur at 8 am tomorrow. There, people will be able to have the last darshan until 3 p.m. His last rites will be celebrated with state honors at 4 p.m.
While serving as CM of Karnataka, he laid a strong foundation for the development of Bengaluru as an IT industry and successfully created ‘Brand Bengaluru’ at the international level. Krishna, who started his political career as an independent MP, could have become the country’s Prime Minister in 2004. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had told one of his economist colleagues this.
Received a Fulbright scholarship to study in America Krishna was born on May 1, 1932 in Somanahalli, Mandya district of Karnataka. He graduated from Maharaja’s College, Mysore and then completed his LLB from Government Law College. After that, he got the Fulbright scholarship to study in America. Krishna completed a post-graduate degree in law in the United States. After returning to India, Krishna started practicing law in Karnataka and the Delhi High Court. After some time he joined politics.
An independent MP became the father of modern Karnataka Krishna started his political career as an independent MP. He was elected from the Maddur seat in the 1962 parliamentary elections. Even after serving as an MP, he taught international law at Renukacharya Law College, Bangalore.
After that, he joined the Praja Socialist Party (PSP). However, he lost to MM Gowda of Congress in the subsequent assembly elections. By-elections were held in 1968 after the death of the MP from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat. Krishna was elected as an MP for the first time.
In 1971, he contested elections on the Congress ticket and won. He had to face defeat in the Lok Sabha elections held in 1977 after the Emergency. In the mid-term elections held after three years, Krishna again won the Mandya seat. After that, in 1983, he became Minister of State for Industry in the Indira government. Rajiv Gandhi appointed him as Minister of State for Finance in his government.
He became Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1989 and Deputy Chief Minister in 1993. He was appointed as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in 1999. Krishna was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from October 11, 1999 to May 28, 2004 from Congress. He is also called the father of modern Karnataka.
He then served as Governor of Maharashtra from December 2004 to March 2008. Krishna served as the foreign minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government from 2009 to 2012. Krishna left the Congress and joined the BJP in 2017. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
Krishna could have become Prime Minister instead of Manmohan Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, had told his colleague and economist Venkatagiri Gowda that SM Krishna was doing a good job in Karnataka. If the Congress-led UPA alliance wins the Lok Sabha elections, then I (Manmohan Singh) or Krishna can become the Prime Minister. Later, Gowda told some people about it.
However, parliamentary elections were held in Karnataka before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. SM Krishna was the CM at that time. The Congress contested the elections under his leadership but lost. After this, Krishna fell behind in the race for prime minister. A few months later, the UPA won the Lok Sabha elections and Manmohan Singh was appointed Prime Minister.
SM Krishna through the eyes of the camera…
The image is from SM Krishna’s childhood. He is standing in front of his house in Somanahalli.
In 1982, SM Krishna represented India at the United Nations.
Krishna served as foreign minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government from 2009 to 2012.
Krishna served as Governor of Maharashtra from December 2004 to March 2008.
The photo is from 2010. Krishna with then-President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a US State Department event during his visit to the United States as foreign minister .
Krishna left the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2017.
The photo is from October 2020. After joining the BJP, Krishna participated in RSS’s Vijayadashami festival in Bengaluru.
MS Krishna with his wife Prema, daughters Shambhavi-Malavika, sons-in-law Amartya and Siddharth.
The photo is from August 2024. Krishna was admitted to a private hospital after suffering from breathing problems. He was released after a few days.
Prime Minister and CM of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh expressed grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that
He is deeply saddened by Krishna’s demise. He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. He is remembered for his tenure as Chief Minister of Karnataka, particularly for his emphasis on infrastructure development. Krishna Ji was also a good thinker.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that
Krishna’s service as State and Union Minister and Chief Minister is unprecedented. Karnataka will always be indebted to him for his contribution to the development of the IT sector, especially as Chief Minister. “He said Krishna guided him in the early days of joining the Congress.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that
He was a true leader. Our friendship has gone beyond our competitive spirit to attract investment to our respective states. He was a true leader who always prioritized the welfare of his people. I express my deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the demise of Krishna and said that
His decades of work played a vital role in the development of Karnataka and the transformation of Bengaluru into a technology hub.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said:
Shri SM Krishna was a true pioneer of development. He made significant contributions to the state and country. This is a personal loss for me, as we worked as colleagues.
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