D Sudhakar Passes Away At 66; ‘Voice Of Hiriyur’ Karnataka Congress Leader Battled Prolonged Illness

Senior Karnataka Congress leader and Hiriyur MLA D Sudhakar passed away at the age of 66 after battling prolonged illness. The Karnataka Planning and Statistics Minister had been undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital in Bengaluru for the past several days. Despite medical efforts, doctors could not save him. His death is being viewed as a major loss for the Karnataka Congress.

Known as the "Voice of Hiriyur", D Sudhakar was widely regarded as a leader who remained connected to grassroots politics and worked closely with poor families in the region. At the time of his death, he was serving as the district in-charge minister for Chitradurga.

Originally from Challakere and belonging to the Jain community, D Sudhakar was born on March 28, 1961, to entrepreneur Dasharathayya and Kanchanmala.

D Sudhakar's Political Journey

D Sudhakar began his political career from Challakere, a constituency earlier represented by his uncle Jayanna. He entered electoral politics in 2004 and won the Challakere Assembly seat by defeating Basavaraj Mandimath.

When Challakere later became a reserved constituency for Scheduled Tribes, D Sudhakar shifted to Hiriyur and contested the 2008 Assembly elections as an independent candidate. He secured another victory and emerged as a strong political figure in the region.

At the time of his death, D Sudhakar was the sitting Congress MLA from Hiriyur and also served as chairman of the Chitradurga District Central Cooperative Bank.

Ministerial Roles Across Governments

Following the 2008 elections, D Sudhakar extended support to the BJP government led by B.S. Yediyurappa and served as Social Welfare Minister. Later, after the Beggars Colony controversy surfaced, the portfolio was withdrawn from him.

He subsequently handled the Muzrai Department during the same government.

During a major political crisis in Karnataka, Speaker Bhopayya disqualified 11 MLAs, including D Sudhakar. He later approached the High Court and retained his MLA position through legal intervention.

Return To Congress And Political Comeback

D Sudhakar later joined the Congress and contested the 2013 Assembly elections from Hiriyur, winning the seat. In 2018, he lost to Poornima Srinivas, but staged a comeback in the 2023 Assembly polls by defeating the same opponent and returning to the Karnataka Assembly.

Within Congress circles, D Sudhakar shared a close association with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, whom he considered a political mentor.

Business Ventures And Educational Work

Before becoming a full-time politician, D Sudhakar was involved in business activities alongside his father. The family built a major liquor business through distilleries and excise contracts.

He later expanded into real estate ventures in Nelamangala and Bengaluru and owned a business company named Sewell Hilt. D Sudhakar also operated two oil mills in Challakere.

Apart from politics and business, he contributed to education by establishing the Swami Vivekananda Educational Institution in Challakere, helping thousands of students access education.

He also served as president of the Challakere Hoysala Cooperative Society and headed the Paashwanath Charitable Trust.

D Sudhakar is survived by his wife Harshini, son Suhas and daughter Spoorthi. His political career spanned independent politics, support to the BJP government and later a long innings with the Congress party.

His death marks the end of a decades-long political journey that combined public service, business leadership and educational initiatives in Karnataka.