BENGALURU: Veteran politician and incumbent Chamarajanagar MP V Srinivas Prasad breathed his last in the early hours of on Monday. He was 76.
Prasad, who had been battling multiple health issues, was undergoing treatment at a private hopital on Old Airport Road in Bengaluru. He succumbed to a massive heart attack, leaving behind a void in Karnataka’s political sphere. Prasad is survived by his wife and three daughters.
According to a statement by the hospital, he was admitted on April 22 with complaints of swelling in his legs and difficulty in breathing. He was closely monitored by nephrology, critical care and other specialists in the ICU. In view of his multiple medical issues, he was on many supports and medications to maintain his health.
Venkataiah Srinivas Prasad was born on August 6, 1947 in Mysuru. A six-time MP from Chamarajnagar, he also served as a two-time MLA from Nanjangud in Mysuru district. He announced his retirement from the electoral politics in March this year, putting an end to his 50 years of public life.
He entered into electoral politics by contesting as an independent in 1974. He joined the erstwhile Janata Party in 1976 and switched over to the Congress in 1979. He was also briefly associated with JD(S), JD(U) and Samata Party before joining the BJP. Prasad was the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Vajpayee-government from 1999 to 2004.
In 2013, he returned to the Congress and became the Revenue Minister in the Siddaramaiah-government. But in 2016, he resigned as the minister to rejoin the BJP. He unsuccessfully contested the Nanjangud byelections in 2017 on a BJP ticket and then won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Chamarajanagar.
Condoling his death, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah described Prasad as a strong voice for the oppressed Dalits. He said: “The departure of the leader who lived the struggle against injustice and inequality is a big setback for the political struggle for social justice in the state. He was a progressive-thinking political leader. Although we worked in different parties for a long time in old Mysuru region, we maintained a respectful relationship with each other. When I met him recently, we reminisced. I never thought Prasad would leave us so soon.”
BJP stalwart and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa said: ‘I met him only a few days ago and I can’t believe that he is not with us now. He was recognised as an influential Dalit leader who had made his mark in the politics of the state and the country.”
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