Veteran politician and former Karnataka Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, credited with making Bengaluru the Silicon Valley of India, passed away at 92 after a prolonged illness. He breathed his last at 2:45 am at his Bengaluru residence, a family member told PTI. Krishna is survived by his wife Prema and two daughters Shambhavi and Malavika.
He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from October 1999 to May 2004 and took oath as Governor of Maharashtra on 6 December 2004. He also served as External Affairs Minister during the Manmohan Singh-led government from 2009 to 2012. Krishna had spearheaded the normalisation of bilateral trade between India and Pakistan in 2011.
SM Krishna's Political Career
Krishna joined electoral politics in 1962 by winning the Maddur assembly seat as an independent. He was then associated with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Congress. Ending his nearly 50-year-long association with the Congress, he joined the BJP in March 2017.
While announcing his resignation from the Congress, he said the party was in a "state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not. Last year, Krishna announced that he was retiring from active politics, citing his age as the reason. He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, earlier this year.
Krishna was a Member of the Indian delegation to the United Nations in 1982, and as a delegate, attended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar at Westminster, U.K. in 1990. A graduate of Maharaja's College, Mysore, he later obtained a law degree from the Government Law College, Bangalore. He also studied at Southern Methodist University, Dallas and later at George Washington University, as per Maharashtra Raj Bhavan.
'His Vision Shaped Karnataka's Progress'
PM Narendra Modi remembered Krishna as a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life. "He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. 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," PM Modi said on X.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recalled his many interactions with Krishna during his term as EAM. In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Deeply saddened by the passing away of former EAM SM Krishna. Fondly recall my many interactions with him during his term as EAM. His contributions to the development of Karnataka and as EAM will be vividly remembered."
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge mourned the loss and said Krishna's legacy of leadership and public service has left an indelible mark on the state and the country.
"Deeply saddened by the demise of Shri S.M. Krishna, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, whose legacy of leadership and public service has left an indelible mark on our state and nation. His vision and dedication shaped Karnataka’s progress and his corporate approach towards governance for Bengaluru endeared him to many. We are still reaping the benefits of his vision of positioning Bengaluru as a global city," Kharge wrote on X.
He added, "As we remember him, we not only grieve the loss of a towering figure in our politics, but also celebrate a life well-lived in service to the people. May his soul rest in peace and his contributions continue to inspire generations to come."