H. D. Deve Gowda

H. D. Deve Gowda Biography

H. D. Deve Gowda was the 11^th Prime Minister of India and 14^th Chief Minister of Karnataka. He served as the Prime Minster in the year 1996-97 and Chief Minister in the year 1994-96. He contested for the Karnataka State Assembly elections for the first time in 1962. He became one of the prominent figures in the Janata party. He became the prime minister of India in 1996 on behalf of the United Front.

He was born on 18^th May 1933 in Haradanahalli village of Holenarasipura taluk, Hassan District. His parents are Dodde Gowda and Devamma. He married Chennamma and has four sons and two daughters. After getting his civil engineering diploma he joined Indian National Congress Party in the year 1953. He stayed with Congress till 1962. He served as the President of Anjaneya Cooperative Society and as the member of Taluk Development Board at Holenaraipura.

He was elected from Holenarasipur constituency for four times consecutively. He served as the leader of the opposition party in the state assembly from March 1972 to March 1976 and from November 1976 to December 1977. He served as the Minister of Public Works and Irrigation in the seventh and eighth state assembly. However due to the insufficient allocation of funds for irrigation, he resigned from the Cabinet in 1987.  In 1989 Assembly elections, his Janata Party fared poorly and even he himself was defeated in both constituencies he contested.

In 1995 he toured European and Middle Eastern countries and to Singapore which brought foreign investment to the state. He resigned the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka on 30^th May 1996 to become the 14^th Prime Minister of India. He became the President of Janata Party twice at state level. He serves as the member of the Parliament representing his home town Hassan in Karnataka. He was the driving force behind the Janata Dal’s rise to power. 

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Updated: January 06, 2018