Obituary | D. Sudhakar turned political adversities into advantages

Karnataka’s Planning Minister Dasharathaiah Sudhakar, who died on Sunday (May 10, 2026), was a fourth-time MLA who turned political adversities into advantages.

Mr. Sudhakar, who used to maintain a low profile, was elected to the Karnataka Assembly for the first time from Challakere in 2004 on Congress ticket. Later, he shifted to the nearby Hiriyur as Challakere was reserved for ST.

When the Congress denied ticket to him in 2008 from Hiriyur, he contested as an independent and managed to defeat the Congress nominee. The Congress denying ticket to him turned out to be his advantage as the BJP that was short of majority offered him a ministerial berth by taking his support to its government led by B.S. Yediyurappa. This marked the beginning of his political growth.

However, he went back to Congress and contested on its ticket successfully in 2013. In 2016, he was made the chairman of State-held KEONICS. He also became the chairman of the Chitradurga District Credit Co-operative Bank.

But he lost the polls in 2018 and managed to win again in 2023, and also become a Minister again.