BIDAR: Former minister Bheemanna Khandre has died at the age of 102, due to age-related issues, his son and Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre said.A noted freedom fighter, senior Congress leader, and cooperative movement stalwart from the Kalyana Karnataka region, Khandre died late Friday at his residence. He is survived by two sons, including Eshwar, and four daughters.A prominent Veerashaiva Lingayat community leader, he had served as Karnataka’s Transport Minister in Veerappa Moily’s cabinet.Khandre had been battling age-related illnesses and respiratory problems for the past 10–12 days. He was initially admitted to a private hospital in Bidar before continuing treatment at his home in Bhalki, Eshwar Khandre said.A lawyer by profession, Bheemanna Khandre began his public career as the first elected president of Bhalki Municipality in 1953. He entered the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1962, serving as an MLA four times, and was also a member of the Legislative Council twice.Khandre played a pivotal role in the cooperative sector, serving as founding president of the Bidar Cooperative Sugar Factory in Hallikheda and the Mahatma Gandhi Sugar Factory in Hunji. He contributed to the implementation of the Naranja and Karanja irrigation projects, strengthening the region’s agricultural infrastructure.A dedicated freedom fighter, Khandre actively protested the atrocities of the Razakars and worked to ensure that Bidar district remained part of Karnataka during the unification. He also championed education as president of Shantivardhaka Educational Institutions, establishing Akkamahadevi College in Bidar and an engineering college in Bhalki.In addition, Khandre held the prestigious position of national president of the Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva Lingayat community, further cementing his role as a community and political leader.Eshwar Khandre said, the mortal remains of Bhimanna Khandre will be kept for the public to pay their respects in the premises of his house in Gandhi Ganj in Bhalki on Saturday. In the evening, the final rites will be performed according to the Veerashaiva Lingayat tradition at Shantidham in Bhalki.Expressing grief over the veteran leader’s death, chief minister Siddaramaiah said, “Bhimanna Khandre, who participated in the freedom struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, was also at the forefront of the Karnataka unification movement. He was a born fighter who stood firm to keep the Bidar district in Karnataka and succeeded in that effort. Bhimanna Khandre’s life footsteps are eternal in this soil.” Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai, state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy too have expressed grief and paid tributes to Khandre. (With agency inputs)
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