In a tragic incident, Siddu Bhimappa Nyamagouda, the Congress MLA from Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district, passed away after his vehicle met with an accident at 4.30am on Monday.
The MLA was at Tulasigere en route from Goa to Jamkhandi when the incident occurred. The 69-year-old veteran Congress leader contested and won from Jamkhandi after holding off competition from JD(S) candidate Sadashiv Kalal and BJP's Shrikant Kulkarni.
According to Bagalakot SP, Siddu Nymamgouda died on the spot due to grievous injuries.
Police in Kaladagi police station rushed to the spot on hearing the news of the accident. They rushed the MLA to a nearby hospital, however, he was declared dead on arrival.
“Deepest condolences on the passing away of our senior leader and Jamkhandi MLA, Shri Siddu B Nyamagouda. The Congress party stands by his family in this hour of grief,” Karnataka Congress said in a tweet.
Deepest condolences on the passing away of our senior leader and Jamkhandi MLA, Shri Siddu B Nyamagouda. The Congress party stands by his family in this hour of grief. pic.twitter.com/vBlcWgyppw
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 28, 2018
Shocked to hear about the untimely death of our Senior Leader & recently elected MLA from Jamkhandi, Sri Siddu Nyamagouda. A fighter & a doer.. his commitment for farmers issues was exceptional.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) May 28, 2018
My heartfelt condolences.
Nyamagouda had defeated former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde from Jamkhandi in 1991, when he was a political novice.
He later became the Union Coal Minister in then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao's cabinet.
Nyamagouda is also credited with solving the water problem of people in Jamkhandi in the late 1980s. In 1987 he organised the farmers of his village and those from Athani taluk under a collective called the Krishna Teera Raitha Sangha. The plan was to shun government and build a barrage on the river on their own. He wanted to bring in irrigation to around 35,000 acres of land across 30 villages besides and also make potable water available to the people there to 3 lakh residents.
Nyamagouda spoke to the residents of various villages about contributing both money and labour for the 3 million cubic ft barrage which was to be built across the Krishna River. People came forward and gave Rs 100, some Rs 20. Retired engineers volunteered to help design the barrage. Every member of the villages he approached doled out money and a 430-m long, 8-m high barrage was built with Rs 93 lakh in 11 months.
His success in solving the water problem led him to defeat Ramakrishna Hegde when he first contested elections and he continued to enjoy the support of voters in his constituency until his death.