Karnataka minister D Sudhakar dies due to lung infection at 66: Who was the senior Congress leader?

D Sudhakar, the minister of planning and statistics in the Karnataka government, died in the early hours of Sunday reportedly after prolonged illness. He was 66.

The Karnataka minister breathed his last at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences in Bengaluru. He had been undergoing treatment for a lung infection for the past two months, according to news agency PTI. He is survived by his wife Harshini, daughter Spoorthi and son Suhas.

"Honourable Minister Mr. Sudhakar D, 66 yrs 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.

Condolences poured in from the Congress and other party leaders. Mourning his demise, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was pained to hear about Sudhakar's death. He said when he met him in the hospital, he felt he would recover.

“Sudhakar was a person with immense concern and commitment towards public service. Such a person should have remained among the people for many more years. Despite the continuous efforts of doctors and the prayers of all of us, Sudhakar has left us today,” Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Who was D Sudhakar?

Sudhakar, who was a senior Congress leader, served as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Hiriyur constituency in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. He was also the party's district in-charge of Chitradurga.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed his grief over losing the “cabinet colleague and close aide” and wrote that Sudhakar had rendered “exemplary public service.”

“It is a sorrowful matter that Sudhakar has left behind his family, relatives, and countless supporters today,” Shivakumar posted on X.

In a condolence post on X, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala described that Sudhakar “stood out for his smiling mannerisms, simplicity and grassroots connect.”

He wrote, “Committed to the Congress ideology, forever devoted to the people of Hiriyur and Chitradurga; he stood out for his smiling mannerisms, simplicity and grassroots connect. He always kept the cause of people and Congress workers above all else. He will be deeply missed by every Congressmen and women.”

Sudhakar was born in Challakere in Chitradurga district and belonged to the Jain community. He completed his schooling there before pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at National College in Shivamogga.

Public life was not unfamiliar to Sudhakar's family. His uncle, N Jayanna, had served twice as MLA from Challakere between 1978 and 1989.

Sudhakar's Political Career

Sudhakar formally entered electoral politics in 2004, winning from the Challakere Assembly constituency.

When Challakere became a reserved constituency in 2008, he shifted base to Hiriyur and contested as an Independent candidate, relying on the confidence in his personal rapport with voters.

After winning from Hiriyur, he extended support to former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the BJP, eventually serving as a minister in the BJP-led government in the state.

In 2013, he returned to the Congress, contested again from Hiriyur and emerged victorious. He was then entrusted with important administrative responsibilities, including Chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS), where he was associated with technology and industrial development initiatives.

In 2018, however, he lost the Assembly election to BJP's Poornima. In 2013, he won the 2023 Assembly election on a Congress ticket and reaffirmed his enduring influence in Hiriyur. Following his victory that year, he was inducted into the Siddaramaiah cabinet as Minister for Planning and Statistics.

— With inputs from PTI