SM Krishna joined the BJP in March 2017.
New Delhi:
Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, popularly known as SM Krishna, died today at the age of 92 at his home in Bengaluru. He is highly regarded for putting Bengaluru on the global map as a boost to the IT sector during his tenure, helping the city emerge as India's 'Silicon Valley'.
In January last year he announced his retirement from active politics, citing his age as the reason.
Here are 5 things you need to know about SM Krishna:
Born on May 1, 1932, at Somanahalli in Mandya district of Karnataka, SM Krishna also served as Minister of State and Governor of Maharashtra.
SM Krishna, a law graduate, studied in the US and graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
He served as Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from December 1989 to January 1993. He also served as a member of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha several times between 1971 and 2014.
He was chairman of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee ahead of the 1999 assembly elections, in which the party won and he became chief minister.
He was subsequently associated with the Socialist Party of Praja before joining Congress. SM Krishna ended his nearly 50-year association with the Congress and joined the BJP in March 2017.