Bengaluru, 10 Dec

Former external affairs minister and Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna died at his residence early on Tuesday morning.

The 92-year-old veteran politician was ailing for some time, a family source said. "SM Krishna is no more. He breathed his last at 2:45 am at his residence. Mortal remains are likely to be taken to Maddur today (on Tuesday)," the source said.  Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna is survived by wife Prema and two daughters.

The Karnataka government has announced State mourning for three days as a mark of respect to the veteran leader. His last rites will be performed with full State honours at his native in Mandya district on Wednesday.

The three-day State mourning is from 10 to 12 December, official notification said.

Born in Somanahalli in Mandya district on May 1, 1932, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna began his career in electoral politics in 1962 by winning the Maddur Assembly seat as an independent. He was then associated with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Congress.

Later, he joined the BJP in March 2017, ending his nearly 50-year-long association with the Congress. In January last year, Krishna announced his retirement from active politics, citing his age as the reason.

He was the 16th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 11 October, 1999, to 28 May, 2004, (from Congress). He also served as the Governor of Maharashtra and was the External Affairs Minister during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government from 2009 to 2012.

A law graduate, Krishna studied in the US. He graduated from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and The George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

Krishna served as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from December 1989 to January 1993. He was also a member of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha several times between 1971 and 2014.

Krishna is credited by many for putting Bengaluru on the global map as a fillip given to the IT sector during his tenure resulting in the City growing as India's Silicon Valley'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing of Krishna and said he was a remarkable leader admired by people from all walks of life. "Shri SM Krishna Ji was a remarkable leader, admired by people from all walks of life. He always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others," he said in a post on X.

Recalling that he has had many opportunities to interact with Krishna over the years, Modi said he will always cherish those interactions.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge hailed the former Karnataka chief minister as a true champion of development who made significant contributions to the state and the nation. "Extremely saddened by the passing away of Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Former Union Minister, SM Krishna. A true champion of development, he made significant contributions to the state and the nation," Kharge said in a post on X.

"His vision, dedication and exceptional public service played a pivotal role in Karnataka's progress, while his approach to balance welfare with development placed a global stamp on Bengaluru's transformative paradigm. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and followers," he said.