Senior journalist Gurulingaswamy Holimath no more

Senior journalist and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s media coordinator Gurulingaswamy Holimath passed away on Monday morning due to a cardiac arrest. He was 47, leaving behind his wife Deepa and daughters Ananya and Deepthya.

An alumnus of Karnatak University Dharwad, Gurulingaswamy started his career with an internship at Deccan Herald. He went on to work with Kannada Prabha, ETV, Vijayavani and TV5.

Gurulingaswamy was appointed as Bommai’s media coordinator in August last year. Before that, he was Bommai’s media manager during his stint as home minister.

On Monday morning, Gurulingaswamy is said to have collapsed at the gym following chest pain.

Expressing shock over Gurulingaswamy’s demise, Bommai described him as a “dear young friend” whom he knew for 20 years. “An efficient and active journalist, he achieved much at a young age and longed to achieve more,” Bommai said.

Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar and others expressed condolences.

Gurulingaswamy's last rites will be performed at his native Ramdurg in Belagavi on Tuesday.