Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jul 27: Former chief minister of Karnataka Dharam Singh passed away on Thursday July 27. He was 80.
He passed away in MS Ramaiah Hospital here following a cardiac arrest.
Dharam Singh was the 17th chief minister of Karnataka, from 2004 to 2006 heading the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. He served as MLA for seven consecutive terms and was an MP representing Bidar in the 14th Lok Sabha.
"He was sweating profusely (when he was brought tothe hospital). Cardiologists attended to him but he was not responding and declared dead around 11.30 am," Dr V R Anil Kumar, associate professor, department of emergency medicine, told PTI.
Born in Nelogi village of Jevargi taluk in Kalaburagi, he obtained his MA and LLB degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
Dharam Singh entered politics as an independent corporator in the municipal council of Kalaburagi. He was also the secretary of Hyderabad Karnataka Youth League. He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in the late 1960s and remained a loyalist through the ups and downs of the party.
He served as minister under various chief ministers such as Devaraj Urs, Gundu Rao, S Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily and S M Krishna, handling portfolios like home, excise, social welfare, PWD and revenue. He also served as KPCC president when Congress was not in power. He was leader of opposition in the state Assembly when H D Kumaraswamy was the chief minister. In the 2008 state elections, he lost to Doddappagouda Patil Naribol of the BJP. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Bidar in 2009, and defeated Bhagwant Khuba of the BJP.
He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter. The veteran Congressman had served in theministries of D Devaraj Urs, R Gundu Rao, Veerappa Moily and SM Krishna holding key portfolios, including Home and Public Works Department.
The state government has declared a three-day mourning during which no official or public meetings will be held. The funeral will be held on Friday July 28 in Kalaburagi with full state honours. Educational institutions and government offices in the state were closed as a mark of respect on July 27, and will remain shut on July 28 too in Bidar and Kalaburagi.