Katti was the voice of North Karnataka

Katti had repeatedly made demands for the bifurcation of the state

Karnataka Minister Umesh Katti who passed away due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday was a politician who raised his voice for the development of the North Karnataka region and seeking more funds for same.

A native of Belladbagewadi in Hukkeri taluk, Katti was vocal in his demand for the bifurcation of the state with smaller states leading on the development front. He had ambitions to become chief minister of the unified state and had stated that his son would become chief minister of North Karnataka.

Katti was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Hukkeri Assembly Constituency nine times. He was most senior minister in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai cabinet.

Katti was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1985 by-election after demise of his father Vishwanath Katti. His maiden election was as Janata Party candidate. He was elected as a Janata Dal candidate in 1989 and 1994 and as the Janata Dal (United) candidate in 1999. He lost the 2004 election as the Congress candidate.

Katti was elected as Janata Dal (Secular) candidate in 2008 but crossed over to BJP. He got elected in the 2008 bye-election, 2013 election, and 2018 election as a BJP candidate.

He had won as the candidate of five different political parties from the Hukkeri Assembly Constituency.

He was minister in the cabinet of J H Patel, B S Yeddiyurappa, D V Sadanandagowda Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai.