Tributes pour in as senior BJP MLA Udasi dies at 85 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru Channabasappa Mahalingappa Udasi or CM Udasi, the senior BJP legislator from Hangal constituency in Haveri district, died on Tuesday due to age-related illness

Bengaluru Channabasappa Mahalingappa Udasi or CM Udasi, the senior BJP legislator from Hangal constituency in Haveri district, died on Tuesday due to age-related illness.

HT Image

His son and BJP member of Parliament from the district, Shivakumar Udasi on Tuesday confirmed the news in a Twitter post.

The death of the 85-year-old veteran leader was condoled from leaders across political parties.

“The legislator of Hangal and former minister was dear to me and a companion for decades. His death has been shocking. He has been with me during my entire political career and we have faced both ups and downs together. Losing him today is like losing a brother,” BS Yediyurappa, the Karnataka chief minister tweeted in Kannada.

Udasi entered the state assembly in 1983, the same year as Yediyurappa and has represented the constituency at least six times.

He retained the seat in 1985 as the Janata Party candidate and won in 1994 on a Janata Dal ticket, PTI reported. He sided with the Janata Dal (United) when the Janata Dal split in 1999 but later joined the BJP.

Udasi was a close aide of Yediyurappa and the former had left the BJP to join the newly formed Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) in 2012 along with the latter. He, however, lost the 2013 polls.

“Saddened to learn about the demise of former Karnataka minister & senior BJP leader C.M.Udasi Ji. His service towards the people of the state is noteworthy. His soft spoken and ever smiling personality will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om Shanti,” JP Nadda, the national president of the BJP said in a post on Twitter.

Udasi then followed Yediyurappa back into the BJP’s fold in 2013 and won in 2018. Udasi has served as minister of rural development in the BJP-JD(S) coalition in 2006 and then as minister of public works in 2008.

The state government has issued orders to perform Udasi’s last rites with full state honours.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda said that Udasi’s death caused immense pain.

“My deepest Condolences to the family of Sri C M Udasi, present MLA, Former Minister and a very senior Leader from Karnataka on his demise today. He has served the party in many capacities and his work will be remembered always by the People. Om Shanti,” Arun Singh, BJP’s national general secretary incharge of Karnataka said in a post on Twitter.

Congress leaders like DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah among others also expressed their condolences to the family.