The senior Congress leader wielded considerable influence within the dominant Lingayat community in the state.
Published Dec 15, 2025 | 9:13 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 15, 2025 | 9:13 AM
Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Synopsis: Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa breathed his last on 14 December, after battling age-related ailments. Colloquially referred to as ‘appaji’ in his constituency, Shivashankarappa played a key role in transforming education in the region through decades of association with and support for the Bapuji Educational Institutions.
Age is just a number. This saying held for Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who was the senior-most sitting legislator in the entire country, at the age of 94. The veteran leader breathed his last on Sunday, 14 December, after battling age-related ailments.
A prominent leader of the Lingayat community and the national president of the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, Shivashankarappa was elected multiple times from the Davangere South seat as an MLA and once as an MP.
Colloquially referred to as ‘appaji’ in his constituency, Shivashankarappa played a key role in transforming education in the region through decades of association with and support for the Bapuji Educational Institutions.
Conveying his condolences, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said in a post on X, “The works of Shivashankarappa, who turned Davanagere district into a model district, will immortalise him in the hearts of the people.”
He further said that the veteran Congress leader stayed away from scandals and allegations during his long public service, and dedicated whatever power he obtained solely for the welfare of the people. “His departure has impoverished society as a seasoned leader.”
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “Shivashankarappa, who dedicated his entire life to social service, made special contributions to the field of education. His departure has caused an irreplaceable loss to the state and the Congress Party.”
Born on 16 June 1931, to Savithramma and Shamanur Kallappa, Shivashankarappa’s formal education ended at the intermediate level. Yet, he went on to create a vast empire under the Shamanur Group of Industries alongside a network of educational institutions.
During his time, he led the Bapuji Educational Association, which encompasses over 60 institutions under its umbrella, including medical and dental sciences, engineering and pre-university colleges, along with research institutions. His considerable clout in the region stemmed from his leadership within these institutions.
He entered politics in 1969, when he was elected as a member of the Davangere City Municipal Council. He entered the Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1994 when he was 63 years old.
The senior Congress leader wielded considerable influence within the dominant Lingayat community in the state. In fact, his political acumen could be gauged from the fact that the party assigned him the task of getting former chief minister and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar into the Congress fold, a party leader told PTI.
Shettar had quit the party after he was denied a ticket to contest the 2023 elections. With the help of Shivashankarappa — whose granddaughter and SS Ganesh’s daughter, Anchal, is Shettar’s daughter-in-law — the Congress was quick to poach him.
He has been vocal about the representation of Lingayats in government postings. After the party’s victory in the 2023 Assembly elections, Shivashankarappa wrote to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying that members of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community should be given tickets for the Rajya Sabha polls.
He claimed that while the community had always supported Congress, even before Independence, they were “ignored” at the state and national level.
He also alleged that Lingayats were being sidelined in government offices, a statement that, on one hand, invited appreciation from the BJP but caused rumblings within his own party. Support from Lingayats has been key for any party that has been in power in Karnataka.
Shivashankarappa has also publicly criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on multiple occasions. In 2019, he claimed that Siddaramaiah tried in vain to divide the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, referring to the state government’s move in 2018 to recommend a separate religion tag for Lingayats.
Despite his stature, Shivashankarappa was no stranger to controversy. In 2024, the MLA made a sexist remark on the then Davangere parliamentary seat BJP candidate Gayathri Siddeshwara. He claimed that “she only knew how to cook.”
At a public meeting in Davangere, he said, “First, let them understand the problems of Davangere. We (Congress) have done development work in the region. It’s one thing to know how to talk, but they know only how to cook in the kitchen.”
A day after that, Karnataka Congress President Shivakumar issued a statement, condemning the remarks. “I strongly condemn any statement that remotely reeks of sexism and misogyny, coming from anyone.”
His remarks also drew the ire of badminton player Saina Nehwal, who said that such misogynistic remarks were upsetting when women in the country are dreaming of achieving big in every field. “The sexist jibe is least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon,” she had said.
Despite his old age, Shivashankarappa remained firm about his electoral aspirations. “Only galloping horses are chosen for races. I am one such horse. I am going to win with the highest margin in the election,” Shivashankarappa had said prior to the 2023 Assembly Elections in Karnataka, where he registered a victory against BJP candidate, former Mayor BG Ajay Kumar, by a margin of 27,888 votes.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
