Hundreds of people, including senior leaders from the Congress, Janata Dal (S) and BJP, visited the Kamakshipalya residence of Deputy Mayor R. Ramila Umashankar to pay their last respects. The JD(S) councillor passed away early Friday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest.
According to family members, she woke them up around midnight complaining of chest pain. They immediately took her to a private hospital in the neighbourhood, where doctors said she had suffered a massive cardiac arrest. She was declared dead around 2 a.m.
Ms. Ramila is survived by her husband D. Umashankar, a former councillor from Kottigepalya and a Janata Dal (S) leader, and their two children Varun Kumar and Bhoomika Rani. Her family has been associated with the JD(S) for close to two decades. Her husband, Umashankar, was earlier a City Municipal Council (CMC) member. Ramila contested civic elections for the first time in 2015 and won. In 2017-18, she was JD(S) floor leader in the BBMP.
“I can’t come to terms that Ramila is no more,” said Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun. “Since the day we were elected, we have spent large parts of the day together. We even spent the entire day together on Thursday, beginning with an early morning inspection of K.R. Market with Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara. I was shocked when I got to know of her demise.”
Former CM Siddaramaiah recalled his ties to Ms. Ramila and her husband Umashankar. “She always nurtured a wish to serve society and worked hard to become deputy mayor. She had met me after being elected,” he said.
Neighbours remembered Ms. Ramila as an unassuming woman who was dedicated to her family and social work. Shops next to her house had downed their shutters. “She was always ready to help. She never turned anyone away without enquiring about their well-being,” said a neighbour.
She was buried with State honours at her family’s farm at Kittanahalli, Dasanapura hobli in Bengaluru North taluk. The BBMP declared a holiday in all its offices barring emergency services.