KALABURAGI: Former Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh died at the age of 80 following a severe heart attack at M R Ramaiah Hospital in Bengaluru, on Thursday.
Dharam Singh was born at Nelogi village of Kalaburagi district on December 25, 1936 to Narayan Singh and Padmavati. Dharam Singh completed his primary education in the district and pursued his higher education in Hyderabad at Osmania University.
He entered politics by participating in the Goa Liberation Movement in 1958 and got elected as Kalaburagi Municipal Council member from Shahabazar in the year 1968. Singh was elected to the State Assembly from Jewargi constituency seven consecutive times from 1972 to 2004.
He became minister for the first time in 1980 and managed different portfolios under different chief ministers. When there was a hung Assembly in 2004, Singh was asked by AICC to become chief minister in the coalition government with Janata Dal. He was defeated in the Assembly elections in 2008.
He successfully contested for Bidar Lok Sabha seat after delimitation of constituency as Bidar Lok Sabha Seat which was reserved for SCs became a general seat. He got elected from Bidar Lok Sabha seat in 2009. But in 2014 elections he was defeated by BJP candidate Bhagavant Khuba.
Singh is bereaved by wife Prabhavati, sons Vijay Singh (Bidar MLC), Ajay singh (Jewargi MLA) and daughter Priyadarshini.