E-Paper
Karnataka minister D Sudhakar, 66, passes away after prolonged illness in Bengaluru
D Sudhakar had been undergoing treatment for a lung infection for the past two months.
Karnataka Minister D Sudhakar died in the early hours of Sunday after a prolonged illness, PTI reported, citing a medical bulletin from the hospital. He was 66.
The planning and statistics minister breathed his last at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences in the state capital Bengaluru. He had been undergoing treatment for a lung infection for the past two months.
"Honourable Minister Mr Sudhakar D, 66 years old, was declared dead at 3:15 AM on 10.05.2026 in Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Electronic City," Dr R Chinnadurai, Medical Director of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, said in the bulletin.
Sudhakar was a senior Congress leader and the MLA from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district.
Condolences pour in
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah recalled his visit to the hospital to meet D Sudhakar, saying that “a firm hope had arisen in me that he would recover”.
“Sudhakar was a person with immense care and dedication toward public service. Individuals like him should have remained among the people for much longer. Despite the doctors' continuous efforts and all our prayers, today Sudhakar has left us. This is an extremely painful moment. I pray to God that the departed soul attains eternal peace, and that his family and admirers find the strength to bear this sorrow,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar condoled Sudhakar's death in a post, saying it has caused “immense grief”.
“The passing away today of our cabinet colleague D. Sudhakar, who was undergoing treatment for illness and was also a close associate, has caused immense grief. As the Hiriyuru legislator, Chitradurga district in-charge minister, and state planning and statistics minister, D. Sudhakar was a leader with a deep concern for the people. Known as the benefactor of the poor, whenever he came to meet me, he would invariably bring along a plea regarding one or the other development work in the constituency. That quality of his reflected his boundless love for the people of the constituency,” Shivakumar wrote.
“I pray that the divine grant eternal peace to the soul of D. Sudhakar and provide strength to his family members to bear this sorrow. Om Shanti,” the deputy CM added.
State health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed his shock at Sudhakar's passing.
“Sudhakar, who was active in politics for over two decades, played a key role in the party's organisation and in providing people-centric governance. The service he rendered as the voice of the people of the Hiriyur constituency, as a leader concerned for backward classes and farmers, is immense. With the demise of D. Sudhakar, the Congress party has lost a dedicated leader, and the state has lost a fine individual and a responsible administrator,” he wrote on X.
“May the divine grant eternal peace to his soul. I pray that his family, community, and countless admirers are granted the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” Rao added.
