Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa was laid to rest with full state honours on Monday.
The 94-year-old former minister, who passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday, was cremated at the Kalleshwara Mill premises, following Veerashaiva-Lingayat traditions.
Earlier in the day, Shivashankarappa's mortal remains were brought to his native Davanagere, where they were kept at the high school grounds for the public, his followers, and well-wishers to pay their last respects.
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Expressing deep sorrow over his demise, the Karnataka government ordered that his last rites be performed with full state honours.
Both the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council also mourned his passing, adjourning their sessions for the day after paying tributes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, several ministers, opposition leaders, legislators, and political figures paid their respects.
A number of seers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community also attended the last rites.
Shivashankarappa represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for some time before succumbing to age-related ailments.
The senior-most legislator in Karnataka, Shivashankarappa, was also one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the country, sources said.
He is survived by three sons, including S S Mallikarjun, the Karnataka Minister for Mines, Geology, and Horticulture, and four daughters. His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is the Member of Parliament from Davanagere.
A six-time MLA, Shivashankarappa also served as a minister and an MP.
He was a prominent educationist, establishing several educational institutions, and was an industrialist.
Additionally, he served as the treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for decades and was the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
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Arijit Singh likely to launch new political party: Reports
New Delhi: The music industry is abuzz with fresh speculation days after singer Arijit Singh announced that he would step away from taking new playback singing assignments.
According to a report by NDTV, the popular singer is now being linked to a possible entry into politics. Sources cited by the portal claim that Arijit is seriously considering exploring political work, beginning at the grassroots level. A source from the Bengali film industry told NDTV that while the singer is unlikely to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, he may be thinking about forming his own political party in the future.
Arijit Singh, who hails from Jiaganj in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, has long been known for maintaining a low profile despite his immense popularity. The report suggests that his alleged interest in politics may be driven by his roots and a desire to contribute beyond music. However, the singer has not made any official statement confirming these reports.
The speculation comes shortly after Arijit announced his decision to stop taking new playback singing assignments. In a post shared on Instagram on Tuesday evening, he thanked listeners for their continued support and said he was calling time on his journey as a playback vocalist.
“Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote.
Arijit also clarified that he would complete his pending commitments and that some releases may still come out this year. He stressed that he was not quitting music altogether and would continue to learn and create independently.
Over the past decade, Arijit Singh has been one of the most influential voices in Hindi cinema, delivering several chart-topping songs including Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Raabta, Kesariya, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Tera Yaar Hoon Main and Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage. He was also expected to feature in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming film O Romeo. His most recent release is Ghar Kab Aaoge from Border 2.
As of now, neither Arijit Singh nor his representatives have responded to the reports linking him to a political foray.
