Last rites at Davangere this evening with full State Honours

Bengaluru/ Davangere: Veteran Congress leader and oldest MLA of the country, Dr. Shamanur Shivashankarappa, passed away due to age-related illness at a private hospital in Bengaluru yesterday. He was 95.

He is survived by three sons including Mines and Geology Minister S.S. Mallikarjun, four daughters, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and a large number of grandchildren. Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun, the MP of Davangere Lok Sabha Constituency, is his daughter-in-law.

After bringing his body to his hometown Davangere, the mortal remains of Shivashankarappa was kept at the premises of his son S.S. Mallikarjun’s house in Kuvempunagar locality in Davangere from 10 am to 12 noon.

Later, the body was taken in a procession on a bamboo made hearse, to the high school campus in the town, to enable public to pay their last respects.

Last rites this evening

The last rites of Shivashankarappa will be performed according to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat tradition at the family owned Kalleshwara Rice Mill premises in the town this evening at 5 pm. Shivashankarappa will be laid to rest next to his late wife Parvatamma’s grave, according to family sources.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, All India Congress Committee (AICC) President M. Mallikarjun Kharge, KPCC President & Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and several other dignitaries will be attending the funeral.

Assembly mourns

The ongoing Winter Session of the Legislative Assembly, being held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi today, declared adjourned for a day by Speaker U.T. Khader, after observing a minute’s silence, to condole the death of Shivashankarappa.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sang paeans of the departed leader, who had remained a staunch Congressman till his death.

Rahul consoles

Following Shivashankarappa’s death, former Congress President and MP Rahul Gandhi, called the family members of Shivashankarappa over phone from New Delhi and consoled them, it is said.

Condolences

Dignitaries from various walks of life, including Suttur Mutt Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, CM Siddaramaiah, Dy. CM D.K. Shivakumar, Union Minister and Mandya MP H.D. Kumaraswamy, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Pralhad Joshi, MLAs G.T. Devegowda, G.D. Harish Gowda, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra and Chamarajanagar MP Sunil Bose, have expressed their condolences, upon the demise of Shivashankarappa.

An MLA, former MP, Educationist, bizman

A six-time MLA, representing Davangere South Constituency in the Legislative Assembly, Shivashankarappa had won the Lok Sabha elections from Davangere Constituency once. He had also served as the Horticulture Minister in the Cabinet of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, between 2013 and 2015. He had served Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) as its Treasurer, for a longer period.

When COVID-19 pandemic struck the country, Shivashankarappa purchased vaccine valued above Rs. 2 crore and got the constituents of his Davangere North seat inoculated, showing his large concern for the society.

Shivashankarappa, who was popularly known as ‘Davangere Dhani’ (Lord of Davangere), for being an affluent person, was not just a leader, also an educationist and businessman.

He was the Chairman of Bapuji Educational Institutions, that ran Medical, Engineering, PUC and First Grade Colleges, along with several other institutions. He was a rice merchant and owned Kalleshwara Rice Mill.

Being the President of Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha since the year 2012, Shivashankarappa had served the community in various capacities. When a dispute arose between Veerashaiva and Lingayat, with the sub-sects fighting for separate community status, Shivashankarappa showed temerity, declaring both Veerashaiva and Lingayats as one, silencing the dissenting tones.