On Dec. 10, Karnataka lost a visionary leader, S.M. Krishna (Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna).

Some politicians leave behind more than policies; they leave an enduring legacy. Krishna was one of them — a leader who transcended caste and community, striving to make Karnataka a model State.

Dubbed the ‘CEO Chief Minister,’ Krishna governed like a corporate leader with a mission: Efficiency, productivity, and turning Karnataka, especially Bengaluru into a global brand.

His tenure remains a blueprint for leadership as he championed Karnataka’s rural and urban           development alike.

While he was often seen as an urban, industry-focused leader, his initiatives told a different story.

Programmes like ‘Jala Samvardhane Yojane’, which rejuvenated tanks in rural areas, and the ‘Emergency Revolving Fund’ for crop price crashes underscored his commitment to agriculture.

His fiscal prudence was evident when he brought in the landmark Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act (2002), which curbed State borrowings and enforced fiscal discipline.

One of Krishna’s boldest moves was the creation of the Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Ltd. to plug excise revenue leaks.

By ending the sale of ‘seconds’ liquor, he not only increased State revenue but also put an end to a menace — the dominance of the liquor lobby.

S.M. Krishna was the architect of many ‘firsts’ in Karnataka’s governance.

The Bangalore Agenda Task Force brought citizen-centric urban management, while his decentralisation efforts ensured industries expanded beyond Bengaluru to other second-tier cities.

He revived the ‘BHOOMI’ project, digitising land records that were lying inactive for 13 years! Today, the Urban Property Ownership Records (UPOR) is an extension of this project.

Women’s empowerment saw a new dawn with the ‘Stree Shakthi’ self-help groups. The transformative mid-day meal scheme, now a national programme, began during his tenure.

Krishna also laid the groundwork for the Bengaluru Metro by cancelling a proposed mono-rail project backed by his family member, Vijay Mallya, prioritising public benefit over personal ties.

Krishna had a clear vision for Bengaluru — a global city where traffic and infrastructure matched its IT aspirations.

At an event in 2016, he recalled how, after Wipro’s Azim Premji expressed frustration over traffic delays, instead of being offended like typical politicians with fragile egos do; Krishna saw a problem and wanted to fix it.

Maybe, that’s because Krishna saw his position as CM differently than most other leaders before him or after him did — he saw himself as a facilitator rather than an egocentric power centre.

That’s why he once said, “We do not look at investors as                              businessmen. We consider them as our partners — partners in development and technological             upliftment.”

When asked about his success with investors, Krishna had said it is his ability to blend conservatism with modernism. Which meant the ability to deal with traditional party politics while being able to woo foreign investors. And woo he did.

Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar once recalled how Krishna would often say he wanted to make Bengaluru such that the “world leaders should first come to Bengaluru and then go to Delhi.”

To a certain extent, Krishna did achieve this vision because during Krishna’s time some of the world’s most celebrated business leaders and politicians visited Bengaluru — from China’s Premier Zhu Rongji to Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair; from General Electric Chairman Jack Welch to Intel CEO Craig Barett; from media mogul Rupert Murdoch to the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshiro Mori, the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to India in 10 years!

Krishna’s ability to balance traditional politics with forward-looking policies — was key to his    success.

No surprise, he was twice voted the ‘Best Chief Minister in India.’ He outshone his contemporaries, including Narendra Modi, who was ranked 8th.

The most amazing aspect of S.M. Krishna’s Chief Ministership is that he did all this work in a span of just over four-and-half years, that too while battling two significant challenges — the abduction of renowned Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar in 2000 and the prolonged drought of 2002.

Unfortunately, while he successfully managed Rajkumar’s safe return he could never recover from the fallout of the drought.

If not for the drought which blinded people to his good work S.M. Krishna would have had a second term and probably Bengaluru would have been a better-planned city and Karnataka a much more developed State today. But alas.

In a democracy, the prosperity of a State hinges on leaders with intent and vision. Bureaucrats may formalise plans, but its leaders like S.M. Krishna who drive transformative change.

Krishna’s contributions to Karnataka’s IT boom remain unparalleled. Yet, as IT faces challenges today, the State yearns for a leader with similar foresight to reinvigorate its economy.

S.M. Krishna, often mocked as ‘Oxford Krishna’ for his polished demeanour, achieved far more for Karnataka than many leaders who proclaim to be ‘sons of the soil.’

As Karnataka bids farewell to S.M. Krishna, let us not just mourn the loss of a statesman but also pray we get another leader like him with the courage, competence, and clarity of vision to lead Karnataka into a brighter future instead of turning it into the Bihar of South India.

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