SM Krishna, also known as Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, the former chief minister of Karnataka, died early on Tuesday morning at the age of 92. “SM Krishna is no longer alive. around his home, he passed away around 2:45 a.m. It is anticipated that the deceased will be transported to Maddur today, according to news agency PTI. Malavika and Shambhavi Krishna, his two children, and his wife, Prema Krishna, survive him.
SM Krishna Early Life and Education :
SM Krishna, the son of SC Mallaiah, was born on May 1, 1932, in Somanahalli hamlet in Mandya’s Maddur taluka in Karnataka. He attended Maharaja’s College in Mysore for his early education before graduating from Government Law College in Bengaluru with a law degree. Later, he studied at George Washington University in the United States and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. After returning to India, Krishna was employed at Bengaluru’s Renukacharya Law College as a professor of international law. He was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1962, marking the beginning of his political career.
Political career :
In 1968, SM Krishna joined the Indian Parliament as a Lok Sabha representative. He was re-elected to the fifth Lok Sabha, but in 1972 he turned his attention to state politics, holding the position of Minister of Commerce, Industries, and Parliamentary Affairs for Karnataka until 1977. Krishna rejoined the Lok Sabha in 1980 and went on to become Minister of State for Finance (1984–85) and Industry (1983–84). He served as Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 1992. 1996 saw his election to the Rajya Sabha, where he remained till 1999.
Additionally, Krishna represented India abroad by attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar in 1990 and sitting on a United Nations trip in 1982. From October 1999 to May 2004, Krishna was the Chief Minister of Karnataka. In 2004, he was elected Governor of Maharashtra. He served as India’s External Affairs Minister from 2009 to 2012 while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s UPA government was in power. In 2017, after decades with the Congress Party, Krishna switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that the Congress was in a “state of confusion.” Months before the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2023, he announced his retirement from active politics.
Krishna “Brand Bangaluru”
The most memorable aspects of Krishna’s life are his vision for “Brand Bengaluru” and his time as chief minister of Karnataka. He put regulations in place that encouraged growth and innovation because he saw the potential of the IT industry. In 1999, his government formed the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), which comprised prominent figures from the business such as Azim Premji from Wipro and Nandan Nilekani from Infosys. The goal of this project was to draft a strategy plan for Bengaluru’s growth as a center for IT. Bengaluru became a viable alternative to Silicon Valley, California, under his direction. His administration prioritized public-private partnerships, IT company process simplification, and infrastructure improvement. This proactive strategy established Bengaluru as a global center for innovation and technology while also creating a large number of jobs.
In a letter to then-Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in 2022, Krishna urged action to protect “Brand Bengaluru” and recommended reviving the Bangalore Agenda Task Force to draft a development plan for the city. Krishna remained committed to Bengaluru’s future even after he left active politics. He expressed worries about upholding “Brand Bengaluru” in the face of obstacles like urbanization and the strain on the infrastructure. His calculated actions set the stage for Bengaluru’s ascent to prominence as a center of global innovation. Krishna’s influence will continue to direct officials who want to maintain the city’s growth trajectory as it develops.