Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi (born 28 June 1952) is an Indian politician from
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 ...
and currently a member of
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
. He was
Union Minister of State
The Union Council of Ministers Article 58 of the ''Constitution of India'' is the principal executive organ of the Government of India, which is responsible for being the senior decision making body of the executive branch. It is chaired by t ...
for
Drinking Water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
and
Sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
in 2016. He was member of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and
Sixteenth
The 16th century begins with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (Roman numerals, MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (Roman numerals, MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar ...
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...
. He was inducted into
PM, Narendra Modi's government as a Minister of State for Drinking Water & Sanitation on July 5, 2016. He represents the
Bijapur
Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural ...
constituency (2019-2024) and is currently a member of 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 Modi ...
which he joined in 2002. He has also been a member of
Janata Dal
Janata Dal (“People’s Party”) was an List of political parties in India, Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Indian National Congress (Jagjivan), and the Jan Morcha united on 11 ...
and Ramakrishna Hegde's Vedike Party and Ram Vilas Paswan's Jan Shakti Party in 2001 when Hegde was planning to retire.
Political career
Ramesh Jigajinagi was born on 28 June 1952 in
Atharga village of
Bijapur District in
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 ...
to Chandappa and Bhoramma Jigajinagi. He is married to Shoba and has two sons. He completed his graduation from BLDEA's New Arts College, Bijapur in the faculty of Arts and later earned his master's degree as well. Ramesh hails from a
Scheduled Caste
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
community and has been able to retain support in the areas of northern Karnataka, even after switching alliances and parties.
His electoral victory is significant, contesting and winning his seat against
B. Shankaranand of 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 Em ...
'. Ramesh entered the 12th Lok Sabha with a margin of 1,31,238 votes.
Initially, he joined the undivided
Janata Dal
Janata Dal (“People’s Party”) was an List of political parties in India, Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Indian National Congress (Jagjivan), and the Jan Morcha united on 11 ...
under the mentorship of
Ramakrishna Hegde
Ramakrishna Mahabaleshwar Hegde (29 August 1926 – 12 January 2004) was an Indian politician who served as the tenth Chief Minister of Karnataka for three terms between 1983 and 1988. He was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 19 ...
. He remained in the Janta Dal and was a staunch supporter of Ramakrishna Hegde. When Ramakrishna Hegde floated the Rashtreeya Nava Nirmana Vedike, Ramesh Jigajinagi was among the earliest sitting MLAs to support him and join the new party by resigning his ministership. Later, he joined
Lok Shakti
Lok Shakti ( lit. People's Power) is a political party in India. Lok Shakti was one of several parties that were formed when the Janata Dal crumbled in the mid-1990s. LS was formed in February 1997 after Ramakrishna Hegde was expelled from Janata ...
, a party formed by Ramakrishna Hegde and rejoined Janata Dal United after the merger of Lok Shakti with the former. After the death of his mentor, he joined 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 Modi ...
.
Positions held
* Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly 1983- 1985, 1985-1989, 1994-1999 (3 terms)
* Minister of State, Home Department in the Government of Karnataka 1983
* Minister of State, Excise Department in the Government of Karnataka 1984-1985
* Cabinet Minister for Social Welfare and Revenue in the Government of Karnataka 1996-1998
* Member of the 12th Loksabha 1998-1999 (Winning Margin=131238). From Chikkodi.
* Member of the 13th Loksabha 1999-2004 (Winning Margin=84590)
* Member of the 14th Loksabha 2004-2009 (Winning Margin=43492), for BJP.
* Member of the 15th Loksabha 2009-2014 (Winning Margin=42404) From Bijapur.
* Member of the 16th Loksabha 2014- 2019 (Winning Margin=69819)
* Member of the 17th Loksabha 2019 - (Winning Margin = 2,58,038)
* He has served as the member in the following committees
* Parliamentary Consultative Committee, Ministry of Finance
* Parliamentary Committee on Absence of Members from the sittings of the House
* Parliamentary Committee on Commerce
* Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs and its Sub-Committee on Personnel Policy of Central Para-Military Forces
* Union Minister of State for Drinking Water & Sanitation 2016
See also
*
Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha
Notes
External links
Ramesh Jigajinagi's home page on Lok Sabha's Website
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jigajinagi, Ramesh
1952 births
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Karnataka
Living people
India MPs 1998–1999
India MPs 1999–2004
India MPs 2004–2009
India MPs 2009–2014
People from Bijapur district, Karnataka
Lok Sabha members from Karnataka
India MPs 2014–2019
Janata Dal politicians
Janata Dal (United) politicians
Lok Janshakti Party politicians
Narendra Modi ministry
India MPs 2019–present
Lok Shakti politicians