Karnataka Congress working president and former MP dies of heart attack
BENGALURU: Working president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and former Lok Sabha member R. Dhruvanarayan (62) died after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest at his residence in Vijayanagar of Mysuru city on Saturday.
Around 6.30 am, Dhruvanarayan is said to have made a call to his car driver and complained of pain in chest area. He was rushed to a private hospital and doctors declared him brought dead.
Doctor Manjunath, his neighbor who attended him, told reporters that “He was not responding when he was brought to the hospital.”
Dhruvanarayan made news after he won 2004 Santhemarahalli Assembly poll, a reserved seat for Scheduled Castes, in Chamarajanagar district after he defeated his nearest rival JDS nominee A.R. Krishnamurthy by a margin of one vote. He had lost the 1999 election from Santhemarahalli Assembly seat.
He next contested from Kollegal Assembly seat in Chamarajnagar and won. Dhruvanarayan won the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha seat twice. He was defeated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee and former minister V. Srinivas Prasad in 2019 Lok Sabha poll from Chamarjanagar.
Dhruvanarayan entered politics through National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and joined Congress party in 1983. It is said that Dhruvanarayan was an aspirant to contest from Nanjangud Assembly seat in Mysuru district in the ensuing Assembly election.
Congress leaders including MLAs H.P. Manjunath, Yathindra Siddaramaiah were among others who visited the hospital in Vani Vilas Mohalla of Mysuru city. His supporters grieved the demise of their leader.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai condoled the death of Dhurvanarayan and stated that final rites of the ex-MP would be performed with full State honours. Janata Dal Secular leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said he was pained by the death of Dhuravanarayan. President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D.K. Shivakumar said he lost a brother.
The mortal remains of Dhruvanarayan was kept for public viewing at his residence and people paid their condolences to the departed leader.
