Former Rajya Sabha MP KB Shanappa succumbs to COVID-19

Kalaburagi: Former Rajya Sabha member and minister KB Shanappa (83) has died due to COVID-19.

He was admitted to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences hospital here three days ago after testing positive for COVID-19 but died on Sunday after failing to respond to treatment.

Shanappa gained repute as a labour leader and was twice elected as a communist MLA from the Shahabad reserved seat. In one of these elections, he won by a margin of only 80 votes.

Later he contested many elections but did not win any.

He was excise minister in the Cabinet of JH Patil without being an MLA or MLC and so had to resign after he could not win the election to become an MLA.

After joining BJP he was elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Later he joined Congress during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Condolences for his death was expressed by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol.