BENGALURU: For generations of Congress workers and Lingayat leaders across Karnataka, he was simply Appaji — Father — a reassuring presence whose generosity, authority and warmth transcended politics. On Sunday evening, December 14, 2025, that presence faded into history.
Shamanur Shivashankarappa — veteran legislator, industrialist, educationist and All-India President of the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha — passed away at 6.28 pm at Sparsh Hospital, Bengaluru. He was 94. The oldest serving legislator in the country, he had been undergoing treatment since October 23 and succumbed to multi-organ failure and age-
related complications. For nearly a week, his condition had steadily worsened. Those close to him said he could barely speak in his final days. Leaders cutting across party lines, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, had visited him in hospital. Few political figures in Karnataka were as widely respected, or as affectionately remembered.
Born on June 16, 1931, in Davanagere to Shamanur Kallappa and Savitramma, Shivashankarappa hailed from a modest Sadar Lingayat family. From these unassuming beginnings rose a man whose life would read like political folklore. Educated at Government High School, Davanagere (SSLC, 1949) and DRM Science College (Intermediate, 1951), he chose not merely to seek power, but to build institutions — many of which would outlive him.
His life itself became a legend. One of the first fabulously wealthy politicians of Karnataka, he famously made the Taj West End in Bengaluru his permanent address for years, with a room that regular visitors recall as unmistakably “Shamanur’s”. In Davanagere, even in his nineties, a passing convoy would trigger hushed whispers: “Shamanur is going.”
A lifelong Congressman, Shivashankarappa’s political journey spanned more than five decades. He began at the grassroots as a municipal councillor in 1969, rose to become president of the Davanagere Municipal Council in 1971, and went on to be elected multiple times as MLA from Davanagere South — in 1994, 2004, 2013, 2018 and 2023. He also represented Davanagere in the Lok Sabha from 1998 to 1999 and served as Minister for Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing between 2013 and 2016.
For nearly three decades, he was treasurer of Congress, remembered by party colleagues for his unmatched generosity and unwavering support for organisational work. A long-time KPCC office-bearer, he was known for his formidable organisational skills and an ability to command respect even from political adversaries.
Yet, it was beyond electoral politics that Shivashankarappa’s influence became transformative. As Chairman of the Bapuji Educational Association, he turned Davanagere into a major educational hub, founding institutions such as Bapuji Institute of Engineering & Technology and JJM Medical College. Through the Shamanur Group — spanning sugar mills and distilleries — he played a decisive role in shaping the region’s industrial economy.
As national president of the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, he revitalised the organisation into a powerful, pulsating centre of community life, often personally funding its expansion — organising meetings, mobilising members and strengthening its presence across Karnataka and neighbouring states. In 2012, he institutionalised his philanthropy by founding the Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa Janakalyan Trust with an initial endowment of Rs 5 crore, supporting scholarships, social welfare initiatives and awards for excellence.
Predeceased by his wife, S Parvathamma, Shivashankarappa is survived by three sons — including SS Mallikarjun, Minister for Mines & Geology and Horticulture — and four daughters. His daughter-in-law, Dr Prabha Mallikarjun, is the sitting MP from Davanagere.
Known for his simplicity despite immense wealth, his clean public image, and his deep commitment to Davanagere, Shivashankarappa barely campaigned during the 2023 Assembly elections, while his popularity spoke for itself.
With his passing ends an era. Karnataka mourns not just a senior politician, but a gentle giant whose life embodied generosity, institution-building and quiet authority. Shamanur Shivashankarappa may be gone, but Appaji — the living legend — will endure in memory, myth and the many lives he transformed.