BANGALORE: Senior Congress leader and former speaker of the Karnataka Assembly K H Ranganath, 85, breathed his last on Tuesday after prolonged illness at a private hospital. He is survived by two sons and four daughters.
Ranganath had participated in the nation’s freedom struggle and started his political career in the socialist movement and was elected to the state Assembly six times. The departed leader who served as the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly in 1981 also worked under Veerendra Patil, Devaraj Urs and S M Krishna.
Ranganath was a senior leader in the state Congress who brought his rich experience in handling various portfolios as forest, cooperation, law and parliamentary affairs, education, agriculture and was renowned for his parliamentary skills.
He was also president of the Karnataka Mahabhodhi Society.
Several Congress leaders, including KPCC Chief Dr G Parameshwar, former chief minister N Dharam Singh and Union Minister of State for Railways K H Munyiappa hospital and paid their last respects to the departed leader in the hospital.
life history
Education: Primary, High School at Honnali, Jagalur, Harihar and Chitradurga. Graduation and Law at Central College Bangalore.
Freedom struggle: Joined the freedom struggle during the Quit India Movement in the year 1942 and was jailed.
Political journey
;1962 he was elected from Mudigere Assembly Constituency on Praja Socialist Party ticket.
;1969, he joined the Congress party.
;1971-72, he was vice president of KPCC.
;1972-1974 and 1985-1986 he was president of KPCC.
;1973 was transport minister in Devaraj Urs’ Cabinet
;1978 was cooperative department minister
;1981-83 he was the Speaker of Karnataka legislative Assembly.
;1984-89 he was an MP from Chitradurga Constituency.
;1989 he was elected to the ninth Assembly and worked as Education, Agriculture and Home Minister in Veerendra Patil’s Cabinet.
;1992 he was the PWD minister in Veerappa Moily’s Cabinet.
;1994 Loses for the first time, to D Manjunath.
;1999 Defeats D Manjunath and gets elected to state Assembly
