Bengaluru/Belagavi, Oct 30 Senior Congress leader, former Karnataka minister and former Belagavi MP Shivanand Koujalagi died at his home town, Bailhongal in Belagavi district, on Friday due to age-related ailments. He was 87.
Koujalagi, father of Congress MLA Mahantesh Koujalagi, was a three-time MLA from Bailhongal and represented the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency once.
He carried forward the political legacy of his father, the late former MP Hemmand Koujalagi, and served as a minister in the H D Deve Gowda government in the state. He also chaired the prestigious Karnataka Lingayat Education (KLE) Society.
Paying tribute, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said Koujalagi had made significant contributions to public life, particularly in education, cooperation and social service.
“His demise is an irreplaceable loss not only to his family but also to those in the political and social spheres who knew him closely,” Shivakumar said in a post on X, extending condolences to the bereaved family.
In his condolence message, former chief minister Siddaramaiah described Koujalagi as a socially committed leader who remained connected with people even after stepping away from electoral politics.
“Even though Shivanand Koujalagi had stayed away from electoral politics for the past few years, he was a socially committed individual who continued to respond to the joys and sorrows of the people who trusted him,” Siddaramaiah said.
He added that Koujalagi’s contributions as a people’s representative would remain etched in public memory, and conveyed his condolences to Koujalagi’s son Mahantesh Koujalagi and other family members.
(PTI News)
