Bengaluru: Karnataka minister and senior Congress leader D Sudhakar passed away after battling a severe lung infection, sources said on Sunday. He was 66. 

He was undergoing treatment at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Electronics City, where he had been under intensive care for the past several weeks.

Sudhakar, who was serving as Karnataka’s Minister for Planning and Statistics, had been suffering from a serious lung infection since the end of March. His condition worsened last week, following which he was placed on advanced life support systems, including ECMO/ECLS support.

"Honourable Minister Mr. Sudhakar D, 66 yrs old, was declared dead at 3.15 am on 10.05.2026 in Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Electronic City," Dr R Chinnadurai, Medical Director of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, said in the bulletin.

Doctors treating him had reportedly explored the possibility of a lung transplant as his health deteriorated. However, his condition continued to worsen despite intensive medical intervention.

A senior Congress leader from Chitradurga district, Sudhakar, was the incumbent MLA from Hiriyur Assembly constituency. He was elected from Challakere in 2004 and from Hiriyur in 2008 and 2013. Over the years, he held several key portfolios in successive state governments, including Social Welfare and Youth Affairs.

Political leaders across party lines expressed grief over his demise, remembering him as an experienced legislator and a leader closely connected with grassroots politics in the state.