PM Modi condoles SM Krishna's demise, hails him as 'remarkable leader'
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of Former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna on Tuesday and said he was a remarkable leader admired by people from all walks of life.
The 92-year-old Krishna had been ailing for quite some time and died at his residence in Bengaluru early Tuesday morning, his family said.
"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," Modi said in a post on X.
"He is fondly remembered for his tenure as Karnataka's Chief Minister, particularly for his focus on infrastructural development. Shri SM Krishna Ji was also a prolific reader and thinker," the prime minister said.
Modi said he has had many opportunities to interact with Krishna over the years, and he will always cherish those interactions.
"I am deeply saddened by his passing. My condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi said.
Krishna is survived by his wife Prema and two daughters Shambhavi and Malavika.
Born in Somanahalli in Karnataka's Mandya district on May 1, 1932, Krishna started his career in electoral politics in 1962 by winning the Maddur assembly seat as an Independent.
He was associated with the Praja Socialist Party before joining the Congress. He ended his nearly 50-year-long association with the Congress in March 2017 and joined the BJP.
He announced his resignation from the Congress in January 2017, saying the party was in a state of confusion on whether it needed mass leaders or not.
In January last year, Krishna announced that he was retiring from active politics, citing his age as the reason.
As a Congress leader, he served as the 16th chief minister of Karnataka from October 11, 1999 to May 28, 2004.
He also served as the governor of Maharashtra and was the External Affairs Minister during the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2009 to 2012.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
