K’taka Congress veteran Shamanur Shivashankarappa passes away at 94; condolences pour in
Bengaluru: Veteran politician and six-time Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who also served as the National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday evening. He was 94.
According to Dr. Sharan Patil, Shivashankarappa’s son-in-law, the veteran leader had been admitted to the hospital on October 23 and was suffering from age-related ailments.
He passed away at around 6.30 p.m.
Shivashankarappa represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency at the time of his death and had also served one term as a Lok Sabha member from the Davanagere Parliamentary constituency. He was a towering figure in Karnataka politics, known for his long public life and grassroots connect.
His son, S.S. Mallikarjun, is the Minister for Horticulture in the Congress-led Karnataka government, while his daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Lok Sabha member representing the Davanagere constituency.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, condoling the death, said: “The passing away of Shamanur Shivashankarappa, former minister, MLA, national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, and senior party leader, is deeply saddening. Throughout his long public life, he remained untainted by controversy and dedicated his tenure to public welfare. His demise is a loss to society.”
Siddaramaiah added that Shivashankarappa’s efforts transformed Davanagere district into a model region, cementing his legacy in the hearts of the people.
“May his soul rest in peace. I pray that his son S.S. Mallikarjun and the bereaved family find the strength to cope with this loss,” he said.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also expressed grief, stating: “The passing away of Shri Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Congress MLA from Davanagere South constituency, National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha, former minister, senior politician, and contributor to social service and education, is truly saddening. I pray that God grants peace to his soul and strength to his family and vast circle of admirers to bear this loss. Om Shanti.”
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the veteran leader.
In his condolence message, Kumaraswamy said: “The news of Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s passing away is deeply saddening. He was a leader I personally held in high regard.”
Recalling his contributions to politics, education, industry and social service, Kumaraswamy described him as a role model who achieved success across multiple fields.
“He was a straightforward leader who made significant contributions as a minister. His demise is a great loss to the state,” he said.
Kumaraswamy also called Shivashankarappa’s son and state minister S.S. Mallikarjun to personally convey his condolences and express solidarity with the family.
Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said: “The news of the passing away of Shri Shamanur Shivashankarappa, former minister, MLA, national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, and senior Congress leader, is deeply saddening. He dedicated his life to social service and made significant contributions to education. His demise is an irreparable loss to the state and the Congress party,” Shivakumar said, adding that he prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka said he was deeply saddened by the passing of the senior leader.
“Shivashankarappa had a long and distinguished political career, serving six terms as an MLA and one term as an MP. He handled key portfolios in various state governments and made significant contributions as a minister,” Ashoka said.
BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said the veteran leader’s demise had caused immense grief.
“Shivashankarappa contributed significantly to the state as an industrialist, MLA and minister. As a prominent leader of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community, he worked tirelessly for unity and social upliftment,” Vijayendra said.
Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil described Shivashankarappa as a man of discipline and philanthropy.
“He made significant contributions to education and public life and served the Congress party with dedication from the grassroots level. He played a key role in establishing the Bapuji Education Institution and was instrumental in developing the Srisaila, Ulavai and Guddapura Danamma pilgrim centres,” Patil said.
Patil added that Shivashankarappa excelled in several fields, including trade, social work and cooperative movements, and that his demise was a great loss to the state and society.
