H D Kumaraswamy

Early life and education

Kumaraswamy was born in Haradanahalli, Holenarasipura Taluk, Hassan District, Karnataka to H. D. Deve Gowda and Chennamma.

He finished his high school studies in Bangalore's MES Educational Institution in Jayanagar. He completed his PUC from Vijaya College and earned his B.Sc. from National College in Jayanagar, Bangalore. He married Anita on 13 March 1986, at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. Kumarswamy. They have a son, Nikhil Gowda. He is also married to actress Radhika which she revealed in 2010, that that they married in 2006, and that they have a daughter together, Shamika.

Political career

Kumaraswamy entered politics by winning from Kanakapura (in Bangalore Rural district) in the 1996 general elections. He sought re-election from Kanakapura in 1998 and lost. He again contested unsuccessfully for a Sathanur assembly seat in 1999. 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. He was sworn in as Chief Minister on 28 May 2004. 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. 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, 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 was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 12 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 and Mandya 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.

Film career

ThoughKumaraswamy was the son of H. D. Deve Gowda, a politician in Karnataka and former Prime Minister of India, he was not interested in politics initially. He was very much into film-making and distribution. He has produced several successful Kannada films. Among which, the film Chandra Chakori was a huge hit, credited with 365 day-run in theatres. He is a great fan of Kannada actor thespian Rajkumar, and that attracted him into the film industry. In an interview he has admitted that in his college days, he used to wear clothes which Rajkumar wore in the movies, especially similar pants.

Positions held