Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister and former External Affairs Minister S M Krishna died in Bengaluru early on Tuesday, leaving behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service that saw the 92 year-old leader scale heights of political achievements.
Suave, sophisticated and a man with enviable academic credentials, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna started off his political innings as an independent MLA from Maddur in 1962, stunning a then Congress veteran in the elections.
In his later years, he went on to become the state's CM and also the country's External Affairs Minister.
Tributes poured in for the former Maharashtra Governor, who breathed his last at 2.45 am on Tuesday. Krishna had been ailing for quite some time.
The Karnataka government announced a 3-day state mourning as a mark of respect to the veteran leader. His last rites will be performed with full state honours at his native in Mandya district on Wednesday.
The state mourning is from December 10 to 12, an official notification said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress president Mallijkarjun Kharge and other leaders paid rich tributes to Krishna.
'Shri S M Krishna Ji was a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life. He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others,' Modi said in a post on X.
'He is fondly remembered for his tenure as Karnataka's Chief Minister, particularly for his focus on infrastructural development. Shri SM Krishna Ji was also a prolific reader and thinker,' the PM said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Krishna has left behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service.
Kharge hailed the former CM as a true champion of development who made significant contributions to the state and the nation.
'His vision, dedication and exceptional public service played a pivotal role in Karnataka's progress, while his approach to balance welfare with development placed a global stamp on Bengaluru's transformative paradigm. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers,' he posted on 'X'.
The Karnataka Assembly, which is in session in Belagavi, paid tributes to Krishna. Leaders cutting across party lines described him as a 'gentleman politician' and 'statesman', and lauded his contribution in making Bengaluru an IT hub.
Not many politicians may have held positions as Krishna -- SMK to his friends and the inner circle -- did in his political career spanning over five decades.
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 and Assembly, and had been Speaker, deputy chief minister, External Affairs Minister and Governor at different points of time.
"He played a proactive role in putting Bengaluru on the global map," a senior IT 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 idependent from Maddur against Congress stalwart K V Shankar Gowda in the 1962 assembly polls.
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 in the US and later at George Washington University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
Back home, he worked as a Professor of International Law at Renukacharya Law College.
He made his debut in the Parliament in 1968 as a 'Socialist' MP and became a member of the fourth Lok Sabha.
He was chief minister from October 1999 to May 2004 and later served as the Governor of Maharashtra from December 2004 to March 2008. He was inducted as the External Affairs Minister in the Manmohan Singh-led government from May 2009 to October 2012, in the Congress-led UPA II regime.
In 2017, he joined the BJP, ending his nearly 50-year-long association with the Congress. He retired from politics on January 7, 2023.
Krishna was also a tennis buff.
A tennis enthusiast who played competitive tennis during his college days, Krishna served as president of the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) from 1999 to 2020. This period changed the face of the sport in Karnataka, KSLTA said.
Under his leadership, KSLTA was able to take international tennis to other districts, starting with Gulbarga in 2002. It moved on to Tumkur, Davanagere, Chikkamagalur, Dharwad, etc. The state association is now capable of hosting international tennis tournaments in 12 districts across Karnataka, it said.
Krishna is survived by wife Prema Krishna, and two daughters-- Malavika Krishna and Shambhavi Krishna.
Former PM and Janata Dal-Secular patriarch H D Deve Gowda, Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu--N Chandrababu Naidu, Siddaramaiah and M K Stalin, respectively and host of leaders mourned Krishna's demise and paid rich tributes to him.
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