Nyamagouda, Cong MLA, dies in accident

Former Union minister and senior Congress legislator Siddu Bheemappa Nyamagouda, 69, died in a road accident in the early hours of Monday.

The Jamkhandi MLA was returning from Goa to Jamkhandi when his car met with an accident near Tulasigeri in Bagalkot district. His car reportedly hit the median and he suffered an injury on his chest. Nyamagouda was rushed to Kerodi Hospital in Bagalkot, where he died at 6.15 am.

He is survived by wife Sumithra, three daughters and two sons.

Nyamagouda was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly during the recently-held polls. Nyamagouda was re-elected from Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district. He defeated his nearest rival Shrikanth Kulkarni of BJP.

Besides being elected to the Karnataka Assembly from Jamkhandi twice, Nyamagouda was elected to the Legislative Council from the local body constituency from undivided Vijayapura district in 2003.

He also represented Bagalkot in the Lok Sabha and was a minister in the P V Narasimha Rao government at the Centre.

Nyamagouda shot to fame in the late ‘80s when he spearheaded a people’s movement at his home-town to build a barrage across River Krishna near Chikkapadasalgi.

In the 1991 parliamentary elections, then chief minister S Bangarappa pitted Nyamagouda against Ramakrishna Hegde. The success story of the barrage and some solid backing from the dominant Ganiga community helped Nyamagouda record a resounding win against Hegde.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa among others condoled Nyamagouda’s demise.