<p>Bengaluru: Planning and Statistics Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-sudhakar">D Sudhakar</a> passed away early in the morning on Sunday due to multiple organ dysfunction. He was 66.</p><p>According to sources, Sudhakar went for a knee surgery but developed lung trouble later and went into coma. He was reportedly shifted from Manipal hospital to KIMS Hospital in Electronic City. He was declared dead at 3.15 am by hospital authorities at KIMS, Electronic City.</p><p>Sudhakar, who hailed from the Jain community, was also the Hiriyur MLA.</p>.Shivakumar visits ailing Minister Sudhakar at KIMS hospital.<p>He was first elected as an MLA from the Challakere constituency from the Congress. Post delimitation, when Challakere was reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), Sudhakar shifted to Hiriyur, where he won as an independent in 2008. Later, he returned to the Congress and retained the seat in Hiriyur in 2013. He lost in 2018 before emerging victorious in 2023 and entered the Cabinet. </p><p>He was the lone minister from Chitradurga district in the current Karnataka Cabinet.</p><p>Mourning his death, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on X (formerly Twitter): "Deeply saddened by the passing of senior Congress leader and Karnataka Minister, D Sudhakar ji. A torchbearer of Congress ideology, his life was spent in service of the poor of Chitradurga and Karnataka."</p><p>In another post on X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had visited the hospital and was optimistic of Sudhakar's recovery after speaking to doctors who were treating the minister.</p><p>"Sudhakar had deep concern and commitment for public service. A person like him should've lived longer. Despite constant efforts by doctors and all our wishes, he has passed away. This is deeply saddening," the chief minister added.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Planning and Statistics Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/d-sudhakar">D Sudhakar</a> passed away early in the morning on Sunday due to multiple organ dysfunction. He was 66.</p><p>According to sources, Sudhakar went for a knee surgery but developed lung trouble later and went into coma. He was reportedly shifted from Manipal hospital to KIMS Hospital in Electronic City. He was declared dead at 3.15 am by hospital authorities at KIMS, Electronic City.</p><p>Sudhakar, who hailed from the Jain community, was also the Hiriyur MLA.</p>.Shivakumar visits ailing Minister Sudhakar at KIMS hospital.<p>He was first elected as an MLA from the Challakere constituency from the Congress. Post delimitation, when Challakere was reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), Sudhakar shifted to Hiriyur, where he won as an independent in 2008. Later, he returned to the Congress and retained the seat in Hiriyur in 2013. He lost in 2018 before emerging victorious in 2023 and entered the Cabinet. </p><p>He was the lone minister from Chitradurga district in the current Karnataka Cabinet.</p><p>Mourning his death, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on X (formerly Twitter): "Deeply saddened by the passing of senior Congress leader and Karnataka Minister, D Sudhakar ji. A torchbearer of Congress ideology, his life was spent in service of the poor of Chitradurga and Karnataka."</p><p>In another post on X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had visited the hospital and was optimistic of Sudhakar's recovery after speaking to doctors who were treating the minister.</p><p>"Sudhakar had deep concern and commitment for public service. A person like him should've lived longer. Despite constant efforts by doctors and all our wishes, he has passed away. This is deeply saddening," the chief minister added.</p>