BANGALORE/UDUPI: Karnataka Higher Education Minister Vedavyasa Srinivasa Acharya, considered a soft and sober face of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, passed away on Tuesday.He was 73 and is survived by his wife Shantha Acharya, a daughter and four sons.Acharya, a prominent BJP leader, was an astute Parliamentarian and was recently named House leader in the Karnataka Legislative Council. Acharya was the leader of the 18-member BJP group in the Assembly in 1983 which had extended outside support to the first-ever non-Congress government formed by then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde.Acharya collapsed when he was about to inaugurate a seminar organised by Karnataka State Government College Principals’ Association.Achaya, who arrived an hour late directly from Mangalore, collapsed while entering the venue and suffered a severe cardiac stroke and was immediately shifted to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead.The news of Achaya’s death sent shockwaves in political circles as he commanded great respect cutting across political parties thanks his enormous experience, political clout and extraordinary Parliamentary skills.The state government has declared a holiday on Tuesday in Bangalore, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district, besides three days of mourning. Acharya’s mortal remains were flown to Udupi, his home town, after being kept at his official residence in Bangalore where Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and scores of admirers, colleagues and ministers paid their last respects. His body was then kept at “Rajathadri”, the district office complex in Udupi for a while where a large number of partymen, friends and fans paid their last respects before it was taken to his residence at Katte Acharya Marg, Kadiyali.Acharya’s mortal remains were consigned to flames at the municipal crematorium at Beedinagudde, in the presence of a large number of leaders including L K Advani and Sadananda Gowda.
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