H.D. Chowdaiah (94), who was elected to the Assembly from Keragodu constituency in Mandya on four occasions, died late Tuesday night at his native village Holalu on the outskirts of Mandya town, due to age-related illness.
His contributions were notable in the cooperative field and he spearheaded the movement in his native village and Mandya district. He also took active interest in rural development, sports and education. Chowdaiah, who had completed BSc (Agriculture), was first elected to the Assembly on a Janata Party ticket in 1978 followed by electoral victories in 1983, 1985 and 1999. The constituency was merged with Mandya and Melkote segments after the delimitation exercise in 2004. In 1991, he was elected to the Legislative Council on a Congress ticket. He had contested unsuccessfully in the Parliamentary elections and despite the loss continued to work for the development of the region till his retirement from active politics in 2004. However, he remained in public life and was the Chairman of People’s Education Trust from 1990 to 2020.
Senior political leaders including Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh have condoled the death of Chowdaiah.
