Karnataka: Veteran cooperative leader Nagamarapalli passes away

BIDAR: A veteran cooperative leader and sitting MLA of Bidar North Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli passed away at his Bengaluru residence in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was 74 and is survived by three sons and two daughters.

A six-time legislator Mr Nagamarapalli celebrated his 74th birthday with fanfare amid followers and well-wishers on November 11 here.

Suffering from diabetes and blood pressure, he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and was shifted to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru where doctors pronounced him dead. The mortal remains were flown to Bidar.

The body was kept on the premises of District Central Cooperative Bank, which he headed since 1985, for public viewing. It was taken to Aurad late evening to enable his supporters and well-wishers pay him tribute. The body would be buried at the farm house of the family in the taluk at 11 am Wednesday.

Political career

Mr Nagamarapalli was born November 11, 1942 at Nagamarappalli village in Aurad taluk bordering Maharashtra and began his career as a secretary of village society. He scaled new heights in state politics and become a well-known figure in cooperative sector in the country.

Getting elected to Legislative Assembly for first time in 1985 from Aurad, Mr Nagamarapalli started his electoral journey with Janata Parivar and represented the seat in 1989 and 1994. But in 2004 he won the seat on Congress ticket. He got elected in 2008 on Congress ticket and in 2013 on Karnataka Janata Party founded by former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa.

However when KJP merged with BJP he too joined the latter. He was minister in JH Patel and Dharam Singh governments handling the department on both occasions.

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