Cong leader V S Koujalgi no more

Former president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), former minister and veteran Congress leader Veeranna Shivlingappa Koujalgi, 77, (in pic) passed away at a private hospital here on Wednesday. He had been ailing for the past few months. He is survived by wife, son and three daughters. 

Koujalgi was born on September 21, 1938 at Deshnur village in Bailhongal taluk. A mechanical engineer, he had served in the Indian Navy and had taken part in the 1965 Indo-Pak war.  He joined politics in the year 1972 and got elected from Arabhavi Assembly constituency and also became minister in Devraj Urs Cabinet. He was re-elected from the constituency in the 1978, 1983, 1989, 1994 and 1999 elections. After being denied Congress ticket for the 1985 elections, Koujalgi contested as an Independent and lost. He lost the elections twice again in 2004 and 2008. 

Koujalgi was also the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from February 15, 1993 to December 26, 1994. He was made KPCC president during 1999 and was minister in the S M Krishna Cabinet. As KPCC president he had successfully conducted All India Congress Committee convention in Bangalore in 2001.