H. D. Kumaraswamy

Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy, (born 16 December 1959) known among followers as Kumaranna (Kumar, the elder brother), is an Indian politician, film producer and businessman who served as the 12th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2018 to 2019 and previously from 2006 to 2007. He also the leader of the oppsition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 2013 to 2014. He is a former president of the Karnataka State Janata Dal (Secular), member of Lok Sabha and the current member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Channapatna since 2018, Ramanagara from 2004 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2018. He is the son of former prime minister of India & former Chief Minister of Karnataka H. D. Deve Gowda.[2]

H. D. Kumaraswamy
Kumaraswamy in 2018
12th Chief Minister of Karnataka
In office
23 May 2018 – 23 July 2019
GovernorVajubhai Vala
DeputyG. Parameshwara
Preceded byB. S. Yediyurappa
Succeeded byB. S. Yediyurappa
In office
3 February 2006 – 9 October 2007
Governor
DeputyB. S. Yediyurappa
Preceded byDharam Singh
Succeeded byPresident's rule
Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
16 May 2018
Preceded byC. P. Yogeeshwara
ConstituencyChannapatna
In office
2013–2018
Preceded byC. M. Lingappa
Succeeded byK. Raju
ConstituencyRamanagara
In office
2004–2009
Preceded byK. Raju
Succeeded byAnitha Kumaraswamy
ConstituencyRamanagara
Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly
In office
31 May 2013 – 22 January 2014
GovernorHansraj Bhardwaj
Preceded bySiddaramaiah
Succeeded byJagadish Shettar
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
2009–2013
ConstituencyKarnataka
President of Janata Dal (Secular), Karnataka
In office
2014–2022
Personal details
Born
Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy

(1959-12-16) 16 December 1959
Haradanahalli, Mysore State, India
Political partyJanata Dal (Secular)
Other political
affiliations		Janata Dal
Spouses
Children
Parents
Relatives
Alma materB.Sc., National College Basavanagudi, Bangalore
ProfessionPolitician, Film producer
Source:

Early life and education

Kumaraswamy was born in Haradanahalli, Holenarasipura taluk of Hassan district, Karnataka to H. D. Deve Gowda and Chennamma.[3]

He completed primary education in a government school in Hassan district. He finished his high school studies in Bangalore's MES Educational Institution in Jayanagar and Bachelor of Science degree from National College Basavanagudi, Bangalore.[4]

Personal life

On 13 March 1986, Kumaraswamy married Anitha Kumaraswamy. They have a son, Nikhil Gowda.

Kumaraswamy married actress Radhika Kumaraswamy secretly in 2006. In November 2010, Radhika revealed that she was married to him and that they have a daughter named Shamika.[5]

Political career

Kumaraswamy entered politics by winning from Kanakapura (in Ramanagara District) 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.[6]

He again contested unsuccessfully for a Sathanur assembly seat in 1999 when he was defeated by congress heavyweight D. K. Shivakumar. In 2004, he was elected to represent the Ramanagara 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 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 of the Congress was the unanimous choice of both parties to head the government.[7] He was sworn in as chief minister on 28 May 2004.[8] Forty-two MLAs 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 (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.[9] However, on 4 October 2007, he refused to transfer power to the BJP.[10] Finally, on 8 October 2007, he tendered his resignation to Governor Rameshwar Thakur, and the state was put under President's rule two days later.[11] However, he reconciled later and decided to offer support to the BJP. BJP's B. S. Yeddyurappa 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.[12]

After the untimely demise of Karnataka state JD(S) President Merajuddin Patel, he was elected unopposed as President of the state unit.[13]

However, after the by-election results of Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency and Mandya[14] 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.[15] In September 2013, A. Krishnappa was selected as Janata Dal-Secular's president for Karnataka, filling the vacancy left by Kumaraswamy.[16]

In November 2014 Kumaraswamy was elected as Karnataka state Janata Dal (Secular) President.[17][2] Kumaraswamy is also known for accusing political rivals of corruption.[18][19][20]

Kumaraswamy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after becoming Chief Minister in May 2018

In 2018 elections in Karnataka state, JD(S) was the third-largest party but after a post-poll alliance with the Rahul Gandhi led Indian National Congress, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 23 May 2018.[21]

In the 2019 parliament elections, his son Nikhil Gowda contested in the Mandya (Lok Sabha constituency) against an independent candidate Sumalatha, wife of film actor Late Ambareesh.[22] Kumaraswamy took this contest as a prestige[23] and campaigned all across the constituency. In vain his son lost the election by a margin of 1,30,000 odd votes.[24] This was a major setback and abashment to Kumaraswamy in his political career. He also shed tears in a party convention in Mandya, recalling the election loss faced by his son.[25]

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 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.

In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections, he won from Channapatna against BJP's C. P. Yogeshwar by a margin of 20,000 votes, while his son Nikhil lost in his previous constituency, Ramanagara to the Congress candidate. His party JD(S) managed to win 19 seats of the contested 204 seats in the same elections.[26][27]

Positions held
Kumaraswamy in December 2006

Source : [28][29]

YearPosition
1996Member, 11th Lok Sabha
2004–08Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly
2008-09Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly
2009-13Member, 15th Lok Sabha
  • 31 August 2009: Member, Committee on Rural Development
  • 15 October 2009: Member, Committee on Food Management in Parliament House Complex
2013–18Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly
2018 –Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly

Electoral Performance
Sl.No Year Election Constituency Votes Vote share Margin Result
1. 1996 11th Lok Sabha Kanakapura 4,40,444 42.11% 1,07,404 Won[30]
2. 1998 12th Lok Sabha Kanakapura 2,60,859 21.63% 2,09,528 Lost[30]
3. 1999 13th Lok Sabha Kanakapura 1,62,448 13.17% 3,70,462 Lost[30]
4. 1999 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Sathanur 41,663 40.61% 14,387 Lost[31]
5. 2004 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Ramanagara 69,554 54.14% 24,916 Won[32]
6. 2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Ramanagara 71,700 56.09% 47,260 Won[32]
7. 2009 15th Lok Sabha Bangalore Rural 4,93,302 44.73% 1,30,275 Won[33]
8. 2013 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Ramanagara 83,447 56.12% 25,398 Won[32]
9. 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Ramanagara 92,626 53.96% 22,636 Won[32]
10. 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Channapatna 87,995 46.55% 21,530 Won[34]
11. 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly Channapatna 96,592 48.83% 15,915 Won

Film and television

Kumaraswamy is into film production and distribution. He has produced several Kannada films including Chandra Chakori, a huge hit, credited with 365 day-run in theaters.[35] Surya Vamsha which was directed by S. Narayan 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 in 2019.

In September 2007, Kumaraswamy started the Kannada television channel Kasturi. The channel is now owned and managed by his wife Anitha.

  • Surya Vamsha (2000)
  • Galate Aliyandru (2001)
  • Jithendra (2002)
  • Chandra Chakori (2003)
  • Jaguar (2016)

Controversies

Bigamy charges

Kumaraswamy was accused of bigamy which is illegal according to Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 of India. A public interest litigation was filed after media reports of his marriage to Kannada cinema actress Radhika Kumaraswamy surfaced. Since Kumaraswamy is married to his first wife Anitha, his second marriage with Radhika is a violation of law .[36] However a division bench of Karnataka High Court headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen dismissed the case citing "lack of proof".[37]

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.[38][39][40]

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.[41][40]

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.[42] 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.[43]

The BJP in return accused that these video clips are all edited versions of older footages of some other circumstances.[44] They also said that Kumaraswamy is misleading the people by producing inappropriate footages in public that provokes confusion and violence among the people.[45] 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.[46]

Statements on RSS

In February 2023, Kumarswamy said that a secret meet of RSS in Delhi, has decide to make a Brahmin, Pralhad Joshi, the next chief minister of Karnataka. This led to vast opposition from the BJP and also the Brahmin's Mahasabha, asking for an apology for these statements.[47]

References
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  2. And the new Janata Dal (s) chief is HD Kumaraswamy Archived 17 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Kumaraswamy,Shri H.D.Archived 7 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine on the Lok Sabha website.
  4. "Detailed Profile - Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy - Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) - Who's Who - Government: National Portal of India". Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
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