Prayagraj (PTI): Former BJP MLA from the Meja constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, Neelam Karwaria passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad. She was 55.

Vachaspati, the current Apna Dal MLA from the Bara constituency, said Karwaria had been admitted to the hospital around 10 days ago for a liver transplant. Her condition deteriorated on Thursday night, leading to her demise.

She is survived by her husband, Udaybhan Karwaria, and their three children: daughters Samriddhi and Sakshi, and son Saksham.

Neelam Karwaria was elected to the Meja seat on a BJP ticket in 2017.

Udaybhan Karwaria, a former BJP MLA from the Bara constituency, was released from the Naini Central Jail on July 25 after serving nearly nine years. He had been convicted in the murder case of former Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was later released on the Governor's recommendation.

Neelam Karwaria's body is expected to be brought back to Prayagraj this afternoon.

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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.