Karnataka’s Minister for Planning and Statistics D. Sudhakar died in a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday. He was 66. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

The Minister was on life support system for over two weeks following a lung infection. According to a release, the Minister developed the lung infection when he underwent a knee operation. He was shifted to another hospital and was receiving intensive medical care there.

A medical bulletin from the hospital said that he was declared dead at 3.15 a.m. on Sunday.

The last rites will be conducted in Challakere of Chitradurga district on Monday. The government has declared a holiday for schools, colleges, and government establishments on Monday and three-day mourning for Karnataka.

Mr. Sudhakar represented Hiriyur constituency in the Legislative Assembly.

Prominent leaders across party affiliations have condoled the death of Mr. Sudhakar. AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said Mr. Sudhakar stood out for his smiling mannerisms, simplicity, and grassroots connect.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the political field had suffered a loss in Mr. Sudhakar’s death.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the State government would consider naming an irrigation project after Mr. Sudhakar in memory of his fight for the implementation of the Upper Bhadra project.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok too condoled the Msinister’s death.

Turned adversities into advantages:

Mr. Sudhakar was a four-time MLA who turned political adversities into advantages.

Mr. Sudhakar, who used to maintain a low profile, was elected to the Karnataka Assembly for the first time from Challakere in 2004 on the Congress ticket. Later, he shifted to the nearby Hiriyur as Challakere was reserved for ST.

When the Congress denied ticket to him in 2008 from Hiriyur, he contested as an Independent and managed to defeat the Congress nominee.

The Congress denying ticket to him turned out to be his advantage as the BJP that was short of a majority offered him a ministerial berth by taking his support for its government led by B.S. Yediyurappa.

However, he went back to the Congress and contested on its ticket successfully in 2013. In 2016, he was made the chairman of KEONICS. He also became the chairman of the Chitradurga District Credit Co-operative Bank.

But he lost the polls in 2018 and managed to win again in 2023, and also become a Minister.