BENGALURU: Former minister and senior politician DB Chandregowda (87) passed away in the wee hours on Tuesday at his residence at Daradahalli in Mudigere Taluk of Chickmagalur District.
He is survived by his wife and four daughters.
Gowda is one of the few politicians who represented all houses including the Karnataka Assembly, Karnataka Council, Loksabha, and Rajyasabha.
Interestingly, Gowda was associated with Janatha Dal, later Congress and also won an election contesting on a BJP ticket.
Gowda was a Member of Parliament - both Lok Sabha, thrice, and Rajya Sabha, once. He was MLA for three times and MLC once. He was also Rajyasabha MP once.
In 1971 and 1977, he had contested elections to the Lok Sabha from Chickmagalur Parliamentary Constituency on a Congress Ticket.
However, when former prime minister Indira Gandhi lost her parliament seat in the 1977 Lok Sabha polls after the emergency, he forfeited his Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha seat to allow Gandhi to contest. Indira Gandhi won that time. Thus, he played an important role in giving her a new lease of life in her political career.
Gowda switched to Janatha parivar and won two times MLA from Thirthahalli assembly constituency in 1983 with a JAnatha Dal ticket and later in 1999, he won Sringeri assembly constituency with a Congress ticket. He also served as MLC in 1978.
He quit Congress in 1983 to join Karnataka Kranti Ranga. In 2009, Mr Chandre Gowda contested from Bangalore North Parliamentary Constituency and entered Lok Sabha, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Gowda was a Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1986 representing Janata Party, which later became Janata Dal. He also served as speaker, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and leader of the opposition.
Many leaders including former CMs BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai and others paid condolences.