Bengaluru: Barely a week after she was elected as Bengaluru’s new Deputy Mayor, Ramila Umashankar, the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) corporator from Kaveripura ward, died in the early hours on Friday after she suffered a heart attack. She was 44.
“She was a dedicated social worker and committed party worker. It’s shocking to learn that she is no more with us. My heartfelt condolences to her family. May her soul rest in peace. Pray the Almighty gives courage and strength to the family to bear this loss,” Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said in a press statement on Friday.
Umashankar and Gangambike Mallikarjun of the Congress had been elected to their respective posts as deputy mayor and mayor after the two parties thwarted attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win the backing of independent corporators to secure the posts.
Umashankar had even participated in the Namma Metro flagging off event on Thursday with the chief minister.
It was only the second time in the history of the city that both mayor and her deputy were both women.
Former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo, HD Deve Gowda said that Umashankar had been passionate about social work from a young age. He added that in the last one week that she was elected to her post, Umashankar had done a lot of good work for the city.
She is survived by her former councillor husband, a son and a daughter.
