Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy, (born 16 December 1959) known among followers as Kumaranna (''Kumar, the elder brother''), is an Indian politician and businessman who served as the 18th
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
from 23 May 2018 to 23 July 2019. He is a former president of the Karnataka State
Janata Dal (Secular) and the son of former
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
& former
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
of India
H. D. Deve Gowda
Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda (; born 18 May 1933 in) is an Indian politician from the state of Karnataka. He served as the 11th prime minister of India from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997. He was previously the 14th Chief Minister of Karn ...
.
[And the new Janata Dal (s) chief is HD Kumaraswamy]
Kumaraswamy has served two terms as the Chief Minister of Karnataka–2006 to 2007 and 2018 to 2019. He resigned from the position of Chief Minister on 23 July 2019 after his coalition government lost a no trust motion in the 15th Assembly to the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
.
Early life and education
Kumaraswamy was born in
Haradanahalli
Haradanahalli is a village in the Holenarasipur Taluk of Hassan District in the state of Karnataka, India. Haradanahalli is home town of 11th Prime Minister of India, H. D. Deve Gowda who was born on 18 May 1933 in Haradanahalli village.
N ...
,
Holenarasipura
Holenarasipura is a town and taluk in Hassan district of Karnataka. The town is situated on the banks of the Hemavati, one of the tributaries of the Kaveri.
Demographics
India census, Holenarasipura had a population of 29,938. Males constit ...
taluk of
Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to:
People
*Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name
*Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...
district, Karnataka to
H. D. Deve Gowda
Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda (; born 18 May 1933 in) is an Indian politician from the state of Karnataka. He served as the 11th prime minister of India from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997. He was previously the 14th Chief Minister of Karn ...
and Chennamma.
He completed primary education in a government school in
Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to:
People
*Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name
*Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...
district. He finished his high school studies in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
's MES Educational Institution in
Jayanagar and Bachelor of Science degree from National College Basavanagudi, Bangalore.
Personal life
On 13 March 1986, Kumaraswamy married
Anitha Kumaraswamy
Anitha Kumaraswamy is an Indian politician, Indian politician and businesswoman working in entertainment industry. Currently she is a member of the 2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Ramanagaram (Vi ...
. They have a son,
Nikhil Gowda
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is an Indian actor and politician known for his work in Kannada films. He made his acting debut with the Kannada-Telugu bilingual film ''Jaguar'' (2016).
Personal life
Nikhil Kumarswamy is the son of former Karnataka Chief M ...
.
Political career
Kumaraswamy entered politics by winning from
Kanakapura
Kanakapura is a town in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka on the banks of the Arkavathi river and the administrative center of the taluk of the same name. Previously belonged to Bangalore Rural District. It was formerly the largest constit ...
(in
Ramanagara District
Ramanagara district, is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka state in southern India. Ramanagara City is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is part of Bengaluru Division.
History
Ramanagara district was carved out ...
) in the
1996 general elections. He sought re-election from Kanakapura in 1998 and lost to
M. V. Chandrashekara Murthy. This was Kumaraswamy's worst defeat ever where he lost by such a margin that he even forfeited his deposit.
He again contested unsuccessfully for a
Sathanur assembly seat in 1999 when he was defeated by congress heavyweight
D. K. Shivakumar
Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar (born 15 May 1962), also known by his initials as D. K. Shivakumar, is an Indian politician who is the 9th and Current List of deputy chief ministers of Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and also ...
. In 2004, he was elected to represent the
Ramanagara
Ramanagara is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of Ramanagara district. It is approximately 50 kilometres from Bangalore. There are buses and trains as public transportations which approximately takes 90 minute ...
assembly segment. When the 2004 state elections resulted in a hung assembly with no party getting enough seats to form a government, the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
and
Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) parties decided to come together and form a coalition government. Known for his adaptability and friendly nature,
Dharam Singh
Dharam Narayan Singh (25 December 1936 – 27 July 2017) was an Indian senior congress politician who served as the 17th Chief Minister of Karnataka from
28 May 2004 to 28 January 2006 and Member of the Lok Sabha from Bidar Lok Sabha constitu ...
of the Congress was the unanimous choice of both parties to head the government.
He was sworn in as
chief minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
on 28 May 2004.
Forty-two
MLAs
The Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) was a proposed alternative to the Maxime Faget-invented "tractor" launch escape system (LES) that was planned for use by NASA for its Orion (spacecraft), Orion spacecraft in the event an Ares I malfunction du ...
of Janata Dal (Secular) under Kumaraswamy's leadership left the coalition and the government collapsed. On 28 January 2006, Karnataka Governor
T. N. Chaturvedi invited Kumaraswamy to form the government in the state after the resignation of the Congress Government led by Dharam Singh.
He was
Chief Minister of Karnataka from 4 February 2006 to 9 October 2007.
On 27 September 2007, Kumaraswamy said that he would leave office on 3 October as part of a power-sharing agreement between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
(BJP), despite the calls of some legislators in the JD(S) for him to remain in office for the time being, due to complications in arranging the transfer of power. However, on 4 October 2007, he refused to transfer power to the BJP. Finally, on 8 October 2007, he tendered his resignation to Governor
Rameshwar Thakur
Rameshwar Thakur (28 July 1925 – 15 January 2015) was a senior Indian National Congress politician and former union minister of India, he was the Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 2009 to 2011 and Governor of Odisha from 2004 to 2006, Andhra Pra ...
, and the state was put under President's rule two days later. However, he reconciled later and decided to offer support to the BJP. BJP's
B. S. Yeddyurappa
Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa (born 27 February 1943), often referred to by his initials BSY, is an Indian politician currently serving as the member of the Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary board committee since 17 August 2022, t ...
was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 12 November 2007.
But, again refused to support BJP government over a disagreement on sharing of ministries which resulted in Yeddyurappa resignation as Chief Minister on 19 November 2007.
After the untimely demise of Karnataka state JD(S) President Merajuddin Patel, he was elected unopposed as President of the state unit.
However, after the by-election results of
Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency
Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) constituencies in the South Indian state of Karnataka. This constituency was created in 2008 following the delimitation of parliamentary con ...
and
Mandya
Mandya is a city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of Mandya district and is located from Mysore and from Bangalore.
Sugar factories contribute to the major economic output. It is also called Sugar city (which in Kannada mean ...
in which his party candidates lost, he resigned from the post of President of the Janata Dal (Secular) State unit, and as leader of the opposition.
However, party cadres succeeded in convincing him not to quit as leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.
In September 2013, A. Krishnappa was selected as Janata Dal-Secular's president for Karnataka, filling the vacancy left by Kumaraswamy.
In November 2014 Kumaraswamy was elected as Karnataka state Janata Dal (Secular) President.
Kumaraswamy is also known for accusing political rivals of
corruption.
In
2018 elections in Karnataka state, JD(S) was the third-largest party but after a post-poll alliance with the
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi ( ; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian Parliament, representing the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala in the 17th Lok Sabha. A member of the Indian National Congress, he served as the president o ...
led Indian National Congress, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 23 May 2018.
In the 2019 parliament elections, his son
Nikhil Gowda
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is an Indian actor and politician known for his work in Kannada films. He made his acting debut with the Kannada-Telugu bilingual film ''Jaguar'' (2016).
Personal life
Nikhil Kumarswamy is the son of former Karnataka Chief M ...
contested in the
Mandya (Lok Sabha constituency)
Mandya Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Karnataka state in southern India.
This constituency covers the entire Mandya district ( ಮಂಡ್ಯ ) and part of Mysore district.
Vidhan Sabha ...
against an independent candidate
Sumalatha
Sumalatha (born 27 August 1963) is an Indian actress, politician who is the current Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She has acted in more than 220 films in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. She gained ...
, wife of film actor Late
Ambareesh
Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), known by his screen name Ambareesh, was an Indian actor, media personality, politician from the state of Karnataka. Alongside Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, he is counted in ...
. Kumaraswamy took this contest as a prestige and campaigned all across the constituency. In vain his son lost the election by a margin of 1,30,000 odd votes. This was a major setback and abashment to Kumaraswamy in his political career. He also shed tears in a party convention in
Mandya
Mandya is a city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of Mandya district and is located from Mysore and from Bangalore.
Sugar factories contribute to the major economic output. It is also called Sugar city (which in Kannada mean ...
, recalling the election loss faced by his son.
On the month of July 2019, His Government lost its majority when 13 MLAs of Congress and 3 MLAs of his own party resigned to their MLA Posts. BSP MLA Mahesh N & 2 Independent MLAs withdrew their support for
H.D.Kumaraswamy led coalition Government in Karnataka. On 23 July Kumaraswamy lost his majority in Karnataka floor test.
Kumaraswamy resigned to the Chief Minister post, by submitting his resignation letter to governor
Vajubhai Vala
Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala (born 23 January 1937) is an Indian statesman who was the 18th Governor of Karnataka from 1 September 2014 to 6 July 2021. He is also the longest serving Governor for Karnataka after Khurshed Alam Khan.
Vajubhai served ...
on 23 July 2019. Then BJP was invited to form the government as the single largest party, by the governor and
B. S.Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka by succeeding him.
Positions held
Source :
Electoral Performance
Film and television
Kumaraswamy is into film production and distribution. He has produced several Kannada films including ''
Chandra Chakori
''Chandra Chakori'' is a 2003 Indian Kannada language romance drama film directed and written by S. Narayan. The film stars Murali, Priya and Naaz, all making their debuts, along with Srinagar Kitty and Doddanna in other pivotal roles. The film ...
'', a huge hit, credited with 365 day-run in theaters.
Surya Vamsha which was directed by
S. Narayan
S. Narayan (born 5 June 1962) is an Indian filmmaker, director, actor and lyricist of Kannada films. After Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, Narayan is the second director to direct Dr. Rajkumar and all his three sons. He has given many hits with Vishnu ...
was the debut movie produced by Kumaraswamy under Chennambika films, named after his mother. In 2016 his banner also produced his son's debut movie
Jaguar (2016 film) and his 2nd movie
Seetharama Kalyana
''Seetharama Kalyana '' is a 2019 Indian Kannada-language action drama film written and directed by Harsha and produced by Anitha Kumaraswamy under the Channambika Films banner. The film has an ensemble cast with Nikhil Kumar and Rachita Ram ...
in 2019.
In September 2007, Kumaraswamy started the Kannada television channel
Kasturi. The channel is now owned and managed by his wife Anitha.
Controversies
Bigamy charges
Kumaraswamy was accused of
bigamy
In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...
which is illegal according to Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 of India. A
public interest litigation The chief instrument through which judicial activism has flourished in India is public interest litigation (PIL) or social action litigation (SAL). ''Public interest litigation'' (PIL) refers to litigation undertaken to secure public interest and de ...
was filed after media reports of his marriage to
Kannada cinema
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film '' Sati Sulochana'' directe ...
actress
Radhika Kumaraswamy surfaced. Since Kumaraswamy is married to his first wife Anitha, his second marriage with Radhika is a violation of law . However a division bench of
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
headed by Chief Justice
Vikramajit Sen
Justice Vikramajit Sen (born 31 December 1950) is an Indian Judge, who has served as a List of former judges of the Supreme Court of India, sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India from 2015 to 2015. He has also served as the Chief Justice o ...
dismissed the case citing "lack of proof".
Janthakal mining scam
Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha are facing charges in the Janthakal mining scam. He is accused of pressuring a senior bureaucrat to renew Janthakal Enterprise's lease of iron ore mining for 40 years on the basis of forged documents and violating several rules. The bureaucrat, Ganga Ram Baderiya, was allegedly given kickbacks by Janthakal Enterprise. The owner of Janthakal Enterprises, mining baron Vinod Goel, was arrested in 2015 on charges of forgery. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing this scam on the direction of
Supreme Court of India.
Vishwabharati case
Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha are accused of misuse of official position in allotment of 80 acres of land to Vishwabharati House Building Cooperative Society Ltd, a private cooperative society, which later made a quid pro quo site allotment to Anitha, during Kumaraswamy's tenure as Chief Minister in 2006.
Accusations of skirting law and order
In December 2018, Kumaraswamy was caught on tape purportedly instructing someone, allegedly a senior police officer, to avenge the killing of a local
Janata Dal (Secular) leader, Honnalagere Prakash. He was heard saying: "He (Prakash) was a good man, I don't know why did they murder him. Kill them (assailants) mercilessly in a shootout, no problem."
The video was shared widely on social media and Kumaraswamy came under heavy criticism by the opposing party, accusing him of being irresponsible and skirting proper law and order. His office later issued a statement saying the comments were an emotional reaction to the incident and not orders.
Release of CD on Mangalore protests
Kumaraswamy called for a press meet and released a CD containing 35 video clips of the violence during the Mangalore protests against the CAA. The video presented the policemen acting violently against the protesters and beating up the civilians of the city, leading to riots in the city. He accused that the police directly followed the government orders inhumanly and were the main reason for the shoot out that killed 2 people during the protests.
The BJP in return accused that these video clips are all edited versions of older footages of some other circumstances. They also said that Kumaraswamy is misleading the people by producing inappropriate footages in public that provokes confusion and violence among the people. The BJP included saying that Kumaraswamy, being a senior politician in the state is directly accusing the government officials and the police, which is unacceptable.
Accusation of Illegal Mining near KRS Dam
The MP of Mandya
Sumalatha Ambareesh accused that the ongoing Illegal Mining in and around the areas of
KRS Dam, would bring in a significant damage to the historic reservoir. She directly charged that JDS members headed by H. D. Kumaraswamy were involved in the mining. This further lead to brutal verbal arguments between the two.
The verbal spat had begun on July 5 when Kumaraswamy made personal attacks against Sumalatha over the issue of leasing out MySugar factory in Mandya to private industries and illegal mining near KRS dam, which elicited a sharp reaction from the actress-turned politician.
Accusations were also made that her phone was being tapped during JDS-Congress tenure. She also hit out at Kumaraswamy and his party colleagues for repeatedly bringing in her late husband and popular actor-turned-politician Ambareesh's name to attack her.
References
External links
H. D. Kumaraswamy affidavit
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumaraswamy, HD
1959 births
Living people
Chief Ministers of Karnataka
India MPs 2009–2014
People from Ramanagara
Politicians from Bangalore
People from Hassan district
Children of prime ministers of India
Janata Dal (Secular) politicians
Janata Dal politicians
Karnataka MLAs 2013–2018
Lok Sabha members from Karnataka
India MPs 1996–1997
People from Bangalore Rural district
Candidates in the 2014 Indian general election
Leaders of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Kannada film producers
Film producers from Karnataka
Karnataka MLAs 2018–2023