MYSURU: Former Speaker Krishna (81), who had an eventful stint in the Assembly, passed away at his residence in Mysuru on Friday. Krishna, who hailed from Kotha Maranahalli in KR Pet taluk of Mandya district, represented the KR Pet Assembly constituency for three terms and served as minister in the Ramakrishna Hegde cabinet.
He is remembered for his term as the Assembly Speaker for two years and was in news for denying permission to Siddaramaiah to make a speech in the Assembly, announcing his decision to quit JD(S).As a speaker, Krishna had also turned down JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s letter to suspend his party MLAs who jumped ship with HD Kumaraswamy to form the JD(S) -BJP coalition government.
Krishna had also got elected as an MP from Mandya in 1996. Krishna, who was close to Ramakrishna Hegde and Deve Gowda, had started Bhrashtachara Virodhi Okkuta or the ‘anti-corruption forum’ with Gandhian HS Doreswamy, AK Subbaiah, AK Ramaswamy and others. He quit electoral politics after JD(S) fielded Mumbai businessman KC Narayana Gowda from KR Pet constituency.Krishna, who was battling liver cancer, breathed his last at his residence on Friday.