Former Union Minister RL Jalappa dies at 96

Former union minister RL Jalappa, 96, breathed his last on Friday evening, drawing curtains on a political career that spanned four decades.

Jalappa died at a hospital named after him in Kolar. He was admitted a month ago and was shifted to the ICU a few weeks ago. Besides age-related ailments, Jalappa suffered kidney and lung problems.

Born on October 19, 1925, at Rajanukunte, Doddaballapur, Jalappa's first foray into politics was in 1968 when he became president of the Taluk Development Board.

Jalappa, an Idiga, represented Chikballapur in the Lok Sabha four times from 1996 until his political retirement in 2009. He was a union minister in the HD Deve Gowda government.

He was associated with former chief minister D Devaraj Urs. They were with the Congress before they broke away to form Kranti Ranga, which was later merged into the Janata Party. It was Urs who got Jalappa into the Legislative Council in 1980. In 1983, Jalappa entered the Assembly as a representative of the Doddaballapur constituency.

Such was his connection with Urs that he started the Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust for Backward Classes in 1984. The trust runs educational institutions, including a Deemed-to-be university.

From Janata Party, Jalappa went to the Janata Dal and then came back to the Congress. This journey was filled with colours, including controversial shades. In 1987-88, the then home minister Jalappa was linked to the sensational murder of lawyer Abdul Rasheed.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and others condoled his death.

Jalappa's last rites will be performed in Doddaballapur on Saturday.

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