Chamarajanagar: U.M. Madappa, a member of the First State Assembly formed in 1952, died on Thursday at a Private hospital in Bengaluru following brief illness.

He was 96. He is survived by wife Nagarathamma, sons U.M. Prabhuswamy, U.M. Mallesh, U.M. Nandish and Dr. U.M. Nagamallesh and daughters Umadevi and Shaila.

Born in 1922 at Udigala in Chamarajanagar Taluk, Madappa earned his degree from Maharaja College in Mysuru and later studied law in Belagavi and plunged into politics. He was elected to the First State assembly from Chamarajanagar constituency in 1952 on Kisan Mazdoor party ticket.

He started a degree college and had pressed for Chamarajanagar-Sathymangala Railway line and Chikkahole and Kabini second phase irrigation projects.

Later, he contested on a PSP ticket and won again in 1957. Later, he joined Jayaprakash Narayan movement during emergency and switched to Janata Party and served as its president in Chamarajanagar. He had also served as a University of Mysore Senate member and as a founder director of Mahadeshwara Sugar Factory at Kunthru in the district.

Madappa, who won two elections spending less than Rs. 5,000 each, had strongly objected to the election commission’s decision to increase the expenditure limit for Lokasabha election to a maximum of Rs. 70 lakh.

Madappa was among the serving 3 members of the first State Assembly who were felicitated by the Government at the ‘Vidhanasabha-60’ programme organised a couple of years ago.

His last rites were performed at his farmland at Udigala in the Taluk this afternoon.