SM Krishna, a veteran politician and former Karnataka Chief Minister, died early on Tuesday in Bengaluru after a prolonged illness. He was 92.
The veteran politician, widely credited for putting Bengaluru on the world map, breathed his last at his Bengaluru residence around 2:45 am.
He also served as the External Affairs Minister.
SM Krishna or Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna is survived by his wife Prema and two daughters Shambhavi and Malavika.
His last rites will be held with full state honours in Mandya district tomorrow. The Karnataka government has also announced a three-day state mourning.
SM Krishna was the chief minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2008.
He also served as external affairs minister during the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government from 2009 to 2012.
A key figure in making Bengaluru a tech capital, Krishna was born in Somanahalli in Mandya district on May 1, 1932.
Having served a long stint with the Congress, he joined the BJP in 2017 towards the end of his political career but kept a low political profile.
He retired from active politics last year.
He received the Padma Vibhushan at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2023 for his contribution to the field of public affairs.
A law graduate, he studied in the United States, graduating from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and The George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
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Krishna is credited by many for putting Bengaluru on the global map, as a fillip given to the IT sector during his tenure has resulted in the city growing as ‘India’s Silicon Valley’.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Krishna’s service as a State and Union Minister and Chief Minister is unparalleled. “Karnataka will always be indebted to him for his contribution to the growth of the IT-BT sector, especially as Chief Minister,” he said.
