Hassan Sanniah Prakash, former JD(S) MLA from Hassan died on Tuesday in Bengaluru at the age of 67. He had been admitted to a hospital in the city and was undergoing treatment for a chronic illness. According to reports, the four-time MLA died due to multiple-organ failure.
Prakash began his career in politics in 1980 as a member of the Hassan City Municipal Council (CMC) and was even the president of the same between 1985 and 1987. Later in 1994, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly, when he stood from Hassan. He lost the seat in 1999, but he contested again in 2004 and this time secured his position in the Assembly.
He went on to retain the seat in the 2008 and 2013 polls, but lost the Hassan seat in the May 2018 polls to BJP’s Preetham Gowda. His health problems first began peaking during his fourth term as an MLA, but he recovered soon after and was able to contest the elections earlier this year.
He had also been a chairman of the Sanjeevini Co-operative Hospital in Hassan’s KR Puram since 2001.
Having been a loyal JD(S) member throughout his political career, Prakash is known to be a close associate of JD(S) National President, HD Deve Gowda. Deve Gowda and his wife, Chennamma, paid their last respects to Prakash in Bengaluru on Tuesday following Prakash’s death. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is expected to visit Hassan on Wednesday to pay homage to the late, former MLA.
Prakash is survived by his wife, Lalithamani and their three children. His brother, HS Anil Kumar is the former president of the Hassan City Municipal Council (CMC).