Bengaluru: Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, often referred to as SM Krishna or SMK by his peers, experienced a remarkable political journey that lasted more than five decades.
During his time as chief minister, Krishna was praised by a prominent IT executive with establishing Bengaluru as a global IT powerhouse. “He helped Bengaluru become an alternative to Silicon Valley and created jobs for many youths,” claimed the CEO.
Krishna, who was born in Somanahalli, Mandya district, Karnataka, on May 1, 1932, started his schooling at Maharaja’s College in Mysuru. Later on, he graduated with a law degree from Bengaluru’s Government Law College. Krishna continued his education in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar at George Washington University and Southern Methodist University. Additionally, he taught international law at India’s Renukacharya Law College.
PM Modi’s condolences :-
In the meantime, SM Krishna’s family received condolences from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Shri SM Krishna Ji was a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life,” PM Modi wrote in an X post. He never stopped trying to make other people’s life better. His time as Karnataka’s chief minister is remembered with fondness, especially for his emphasis on infrastructure development. In addition, Shri SM Krishna Ji read a lot and thought a lot.
Additionally, PM Modi stated that he will treasure the times he spent with SM Krishna. “Over the years, I have had numerous opportunity to engage with Shri SM Krishna Ji, and I will always treasure those exchanges. His departure saddens me greatly.
Many national officials are expected to travel to Maddur to attend SM Krishna’s final rites, while the Karnataka assembly session has been deferred.
Political Journey :-
In 1962, Krishna made his political debut by defeating Congressman KV Shankar Gowda to win the Maddur Assembly seat as an independent. Later on, he became a member of the Congress and then the Praja Socialist Party.
He became a Socialist Member of Parliament in the fourth Lok Sabha in 1968.
From 1972 until 1977, he was Karnataka’s Minister of Commerce, Industries, and Parliamentary Affairs.
In 1980, he rejoined the Lok Sabha, holding the positions of Minister of State for Finance (1984–1985) and Industry (1983–1984).
After winning the 1999 assembly elections, he was elected president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
After serving with the Congress for almost 50 years, Krishna joined the BJP in 2017. He announced his political retirement on January 7, 2023.