3 min readJan 29, 2026 11:00 AM IST
First published on: Jan 29, 2026 at 10:25 AM IST
Senior labour leader and the president of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers Federation, H V Anantha Subbarao, passed away following a heart attack at his residence Wednesday. He was 81.
A veteran communist leader, Subbarao, worked for the rights of the labour and working class for more than 50 years. He was the longest-serving general secretary of the Federation, who also opposed the privatisation of the Karnataka transport corporation and was involved in workers’ protests for their rights and salary revisions.
He had called for a Bengaluru Chalo strike on Thursday, demanding that the demands of KSRTC employees across the state be fulfilled. On Wednesday, he also held a meeting in the office.
According to the union workers, he went to take a bath at his house at around 6 pm and returned complaining of chest pain. Trade union leader Vijay Bhaskar and Subbarao’s granddaughter shifted him to the hospital, where doctors declared him “brought dead”.
Born in Arkalgud of Hassan district, Subburao was a relative of prominent Karnataka CPI(M) leader S Suryanarayana Rao. A staunch left-leaning ideologue entered the union circles through the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in the 1960s.
Subburao rose through the ranks at the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and was its president until last year. Under his leadership, AITUC expanded to new areas of the workforce, such as scheme workers and the public transport. He led various industrial unions, including those of ITC and Mico Bosch.
KSRTC workers who faced any issue over their salaries and rights, they approached Subburao who was known as a tough negotiator with the government. “Any transport minister in all these decades or with other unions would take any decisions without consulting Subbarao,” said a leader who knew Subbarao.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his condolences on the passing of Subbarao, calling him a “close associate”.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of H V Anantha Subbarao, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India and a beloved labour leader. Ananth Subbarao, the fighter who led numerous movements as a labour leader for a long four decades, was also a close associate of mine,” his X post loosely translated from Kannada read.
“His tireless fighting spirit and ideological commitment serve as an inspiration to all fighters. His departure represents an irreplaceable loss to society, and particularly to the working class. I pray that the departed soul attains eternal peace, and that his family finds the strength to bear this grief,” he added.
According to the union workers, he went to take a bath at his house at around 6 pm and returned complaining of chest pain. 
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