Murthy: Long career in politics comes to an end

He was serving his third term in Rajya Sabha. He is survived by five daughters. One of his sons-in-law B Chidananda is former MLC in Karnataka.

Born in 1922, Murthy had been in politics for the last sixty years. He was elected to the Assembly in the first Assembly polls in 1952. Since then he had represented T Narasipur in the Assembly five times. He was a close associate of former chief ministers S Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil.

Murthy served Karnataka as minister for Industry, Information and Publicity, Finance and Excise, and Revenue. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980. He also served as Union Minister of Surface Transport (Independent charge) in P V Narasimha Rao’s Cabinet. He remained a Congressman till 2000. In 2000, he was elected to Rajya Sabha on the BJP ticket.

Later he joined the JD(S) in 2006 and was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha. Many leaders, including chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, have mourned his death. Yeddyurappa in his condolence message expressed grief over his death. “He proved his administrative acumen as an efficient finance minister in the State. He was a popular leader committed to the cause of the poor,” he said.

His body was brought to Bangalore on Monday afternoon. Murthy’s final rites will be held with state honours at Mariyala in Chamarajnagar district on Tuesday.