Ramachandra Gowda (

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

:ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರ ಗೌಡ) is a senior leader of the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

(BJP) in

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

, India., Gowda took to social-political activities during his school days having been inspired by the

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS,, ) is an Indian right-wing politics, right-wing, Hindutva, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( ...

. He participated in the

Goa Liberation Movement The Goa liberation movement was a movement which fought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, Portuguese India. The movement built on the small scale revolts and uprisings of the 19th century, and grew powerful during the period 1940–1961. ...

when in high school. Later, he became an active member of the erstwhile

Bharatiya Jana Sangh The Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh ( BJS or JS, short name: Jan Sangh) was a Hindutva political party active in India. It was established on 21 October 1951 in Delhi by three founding members: Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Balraj Madhok and Deendayal ...

. He entered the

Bangalore City Corporation Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area. It was the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India and ...

as a Jana Sangh member in 1970. He was elected to the City Improvement Trust Board in the same year. He was also the BJP State unit general secretary for a long period. He was first elected to the

Karnataka Legislative Council The Karnataka Legislative Council (formerly the Mysore Legislative Council) is the upper house of the state legislature of Karnataka. Karnataka is one of six Indian states with a bicameral legislature; the Legislative Assembly is the lower ho ...

from the Bangalore Graduates Constituency in 1988 and has been re-elected 3 more times in 1994, 2000 and 2006. He held the portfolios of Small Savings, Mining & Geology and Science & Technology in the BJP and

Janata Dal (Secular) {{Infobox Indian Political Party , party_name = Janata Dal (Secular) , party_logo = , colorcode = {{party color, Janata Dal (Secular) , abbreviation = JD(S) , president = H. D. Deve Gowda , founder ...

coalition headed by

H.D.Kumaraswamy Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy (born 16 December 1959) is an Indian politician and film producer who is serving as the Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel of India since 10 June 2024. He also served as the 18th Chief Minister of Karnat ...

. It was during his tenure as minister that the state imposed a ban on lottery. In the BJP Government headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa, he held the portfolio of Medical Education. He resigned in September 2010 after his name figured in a Medical Colleges recruitment scam. for which high court gave a clean chit clearing all allegations. Subsequently, he has been appointed as the Deputy chairman of the State Planning Board.

Personal life

Born on 13 December 1938 at Tippoor in

Kunigal Kunigal is a town in Tumakuru district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kunigal taluk. As of 2011 census, the town has a population of 34155. Kunigal is famous for stud farm established ...

taluk of

Tumkur district Tumakuru district is an List of districts of Karnataka, administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. It is the second largest district in Karnataka by land area with an area of 10,598 km2, and fourth largest by Population. It is ...

, he holds an engineering degree. He has one son and one daughter.

References

Ramachandra gowda's personal website
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Karnataka Politicians from Bengaluru People from Tumakuru district 1938 births Members of the Karnataka Legislative Council State cabinet ministers of Karnataka Living people Goa liberation activists Bharatiya Jana Sangh politicians {{Karnataka-BJP-politician-stub