BENGALURU, Dec 30: Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman and JD(S) leader SL Dharme Gowda was found dead on rail tracks near Kadur in Chikmagalur on Tuesday morning. Gowda belonged to Chikmagalur. A suicide note was reportedly found with the body.

Gowda (64), an MLC of the JD(S), is survived by wife, a son and a daughter. His brother Bhoje is also an MLC.

On Monday evening he had left his farmhouse in Sakkarayapattana village in his car and near Kadur he asked the driver to wait as he was going to meet someone and he went out. When he did not return for long, his family and staff began searching for him and the body was found on the rail tracks on Tuesday morning.

Dharmaraj, his driver, told reporters, “Dharme Gowda told me to park the vehicle near the track around 6.30 pm. He told me he is going to meet someone and told me to be here only, but never returned. I waited near the track till 12.30 am."

On December 15, he was pulled down from the Chairman's seat in the legislative Council following a no-confidence motion against Chairman K Prathapachandra Shetty. A fighting followed among the BJP, Congress and JDS members leading to chaos in the House. Gowda was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Council in 2018.

JD(S) boss and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda tweeted shock over Gowda's death and remembered him as a gentleman politician.

JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said, "His death has caused a shock to me. He was an upright politician."