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H. D. Deve Gowda Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

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Wife: Chennamma Deve Gowda
Age: 91 Years
Hometown: Bengaluru

H. D. Deve Gowda

Bio/Wiki
Full NameHaradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda
Names earned• Mannina Maga (son of the soil)
• Dodda Gowdaru (Senior Gowda)
Profession(s)Politician, Social Activist
Famous forBeing the 11th Prime Minister of India
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)5' 6" (168 cm)
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourGrey (Semi-bald)
Politics
Political Party• Indian National Congress (INC) (1953-1962)
Indian National Congress (INC) flag
• Indian National Congress (Organisation) (1972-1976)
Indian National Congress (Organisation) symbol
• UOP (1976-1977)

• Janata Party (JNP) (1977-1990)
Janata Party (JNP)
• Janata Dal (1990–1999)
Janata Dal's symbol
• Janata Dal (Secular) (July 1999-present)
Janata Dal (Secular) Flag
Political Journey• Became a member of the INC (1953)

• Left the INC (1962)

• Independently contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Holenarasipur constituency and won (1962,1967)

• Joined INC(O) (1972)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Holenarasipur constituency as an INC(O) candidate and won (1972)

• Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly (1972-1976)

• Left INC(O) (1976)

• Member of UOP (1976-1977)

• Joined JNP (1977)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Holenarasipur constituency as a JNP candidate and won (1978)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Holenarasipur constituency as a JNP candidate and won (1983,1985)

• Served as the Minister of Public Works and Irrigation (1983-1988)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Sathanur constituency as a JNP candidate and won (1985)

• Appointed as the Janata Party's Karnataka State President (1989)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Holenarasipur constituency as a JNP candidate and lost (1989)

• Left JNP and joined JD (1990)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JNP candidate and won (1991)

• Served as a member of the Committee on Commerce (1991-1994)

• Served as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Fertilizers (1991-1994)

• Served as a member of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture (1991-1994)

• Appointed as the President of the Janata Dal in Karnataka (1993-1994)

• Contested the Legislative Assembly polls in Karnataka from the Ramanagara constituency as a JD candidate and won (1994)

• Served as the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka (1994-1996)

• Served as the 11th Prime Minister of India (1 June 1996 - 21 April 1997)
Deve Gowda's swearing-in ceremony as PM
• Kept charge of Ministries of of Petroleum and Chemicals, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Food Processing Industries, Urban Affairs and Employment, and Non-Conventional Energy Sources (1996-1997)

• Served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha (1996-1998)

• Selected as the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha (November 1996 - April 1997)

• Chairman of the Steering Committee of the United Front (1996-1997)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JD candidate and won (1998)

• Appointed National President of the Janata Dal (Secular) (1998)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JD(S) candidate and lost (1999)

• Left JD and floated JD(S) (1999)

• Became National president of the Janata Dal (Secular)

• Contested the Lok Sabha by-polls from the Kanakapura constituency as a JD(S) candidate and won (2002)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JD(S) candidate and won (2004)

• Served as the Member of the Committee on Railways (2006-2008)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JD(S) candidate and won (2009)

• Became a Member of the Committee on Defence (31 August 2009)

• Became leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha (2009)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Hassan constituency as a JD(S) candidate and won (2014)

• Became a member of the Standing Committee on Defence (1 September 2014)

• Served as a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (September 2014 - May 2019)

• Served as a member of the Committee on Defence (September 2014 - May 2019)

• Contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Tumkur constituency as a JD(S) candidate and lost (2019)

• Elected to the parliament as a Member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka (2020)

• Became a member of the Committee on Railways (July 2020 - September 2022)

• Became a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (September 2022)

• Became a member of the Water Resources Committee (13 September 2023)
Awards, Honours• Pride of India Award from Indo-US Chamber of Commerce (2013)

• Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti Award (2018)

• International Summit Council for Peace Medal of Honour by Universal Peace Federation (2020)
Deve Gowda receiving the Peace Medal in Seoul
• Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Award (2023)

• Kannada Sahitya Parishat’s endowment Award (2023)
Deve Gowda with his Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Award
• Honourary doctorate degree by the Bangalore University (2023)
Deve Gowda receiving his honourary doctorate degree at the Bangalore University
Personal Life
Date of Birth18 May 1933 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)91 Years
BirthplaceHaradanahalli, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (now Karnataka, India)
Zodiac signTaurus
SignatureSignature of Deve Gowda
Nationality• British Indian (1933-1947)
• Indian (1947-present)
HometownBengaluru
College/UniversitySmt. L V Govt. Polytechnic, Hassan
Educational QualificationDiploma in Civil Engineering
ReligionHinduism
CasteVokkaliga (OBC)
Food HabitVegetarian
Address743, Amogh, 2nd Main Road, 9th Cross, Padmanabha Nagar,
Bengaluru - 560070, Karnataka
HobbiesReading, Travelling
ControversiesAbusing The Chief Minister of Karnataka
Deve Gowda hit the headlines in 2010 after he hurled abuses at the then CM B. S. Yediyurappa for not listening to the demands of the farmers protesting against an infrastructure development project undertaken by the state government. After receiving criticism, Gowda apologised to the CM. [1]India Today

Making Derogatory Remarks Against A Politician
In 2016, Gowda issued a controversial statement in which he called a fellow party member B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan to Tipu Sultan's disloyal General Mir Sadiq who betrayed Tipu in his war against the British East India Company. He also claimed that Zammer sent poor Muslims in Karnataka on haj by using the money that he got through corrupt practices. Zameer, however, denied the claims. [2]The Hindu
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date25 May 1954
Family
Wife/SpouseChennamma Deve Gowda (businesswoman)
H. D. Deve Gowda with Chennamma
ChildrenSon(s)- 4
H. D. Kumaraswamy (politician, former Chief Minister of Karnataka)
H. D. Kumaraswamy With His Father H. D. Deve Gowda
H. D. Revanna (Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly)
H.D. Revanna
• H. D. Ramesh
Ramesh's photo
• H. D. Balakrishna Gowda (former Karnataka Administrative Service officer, politician)
H. D. Balakrishna's photo
Daughter(s)- 2
• H. D. Shailaja (homemaker)
• H. D. Anusuya (homemaker)
Deve Gowda with his daughters
ParentsFather- Dodde Gowda (deceased; paddy farmer)
Mother- Devamma (deceased; homemaker)
SiblingsBrother- H. D. Basave Gowda (farmer)
Sister- None
Other RelativesSister-in-law- Bhavani Revanna (politician)
Bhavani Revanna
Daughter-in-law(s)- 2
• Anitha Kumaraswamy (politician, Karnataka MLA, businesswoman)
H. D. Kumaraswamy with Anitha Kumaraswamy
Radhika Kumaraswamy (actress, film producer)
Radhika Kumaraswamy with her second husband HD Kumaraswamy and daughter Shamika
Paternal Grandson(s)- 2
Nikhil Gowda (actor, politician)
Nikhil Gowda
Prajwal Revanna (politician)

• Suraj Revanna (politician, physician)
Prajwal Revanna with his parents and brother
Style Quotient
Car Collection3 Ambassadors
Money Factor
Salary/Income (approx.)Salary as an MP- Rs. 1 lac + other allowances (as of March 2024)
Income- Rs. 10,25,450 (as per the financial year 2019-2020)
Assets/PropertiesMovable Assets
• Cash: Rs. 2,45,083
• Bank Deposits: Rs. 37,63,085
• Bonds, Debentures, and Shares in companies: Rs. 1,007
• NSS and Postal Savings: Rs. 6,51,349
• Personal loans/advance given: Rs. 15,72,000
• Motor Vehicles: Rs. 6,42,609
• Jewellery: Rs. 50,000
• Other Assets: Rs. 1,00,395

Immovable Assets
• Agricultural Land Rs. 41,28,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the year 2020. It excludes the assets owned by his wife.
Net Worth (approx.)Rs. 1 Crore

Note: The net worth was for the year 2020. It excludes the net worth of his wife.
Social Media
Twitter@H_D_Devegowda

H. D. Deve Gowda with PM Modi

Some Lesser Known Facts About H. D. Deve Gowda

  • As a child, Deve Gowda used to assist his father in farming before attending school.
  • In his early teenage years, Gowda used to participate in the Congress-led anti-British movements.
  • After completing his formal education, Gowda was selected to join the Indian Railways. However, his father did not allow him to do so as he wanted him to stay close to the family.
  • He then began working as a road contractor in Karnataka.
  • H. D. Deve Gowda entered politics when he was 20 years old by joining the Indian National Congress (INC).
  • He left the party in 1962 after the party did not allotted a ticket to him for the Legislative Assembly elections.
  • Before becoming a politician, Gowda used to advocate for the issues faced by the farmers in Karnataka.
  • While he was in the INC, Gowda served as a member of the Anjaneya Cooperative Society of Holenarasipura as well as the Taluk Development Board of Holenarasipura.

    Deve Gowda's photo taken in the 1960s

    Deve Gowda’s photo taken in the 1960s

  • He is one of the few politicians in Karnataka to have been elected six times continuously to the legislative assembly.
  • Deve Gowda was arrested by law enforcement agencies in 1975 after the Indira Gandhi-led Indian government implemented a state of emergency. He was arrested under the Maintainance of the Internal Security Act (MISA) for protesting against the central government’s decision to do so. He remained in the Bangalore Central Jail till 1977.

    Deve Gowda's photo taken in 1978

    Deve Gowda’s photo taken in 1978

  • After becoming the Minister of Irrigation in 1985, he played a very crucial role in implementing several policies that led to an increase in the crop yield in Karnataka, leading to a rise in the income of the farmers.
  • Gowda left the ministership of the Irrigation Department in 1987 after protesting against the state government for not allocating sufficient funds to execute development projects.
  • After he became the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Gowda went to Switzerland on an invitation to attend the Forum of International Economists.
  • As the CM, he played a crucial role in resolving the Idgah Maidan issue at Hubli, which was a point of conflict between the Hindu and the Muslim community.
  • He later visited Singapore, where he met many famous personalities. This resulted in investment from Singapore in Karnataka, leading to the development of Bengaluru into an IT hub.
  • In 1996, he became the Prime Minister of India after the United Front (a coalition of many non-Congress and non-BJP parties) appointed him as its head.

    A photo of Deve Gowda with the South African President Nelson Mandela

    A photo of Deve Gowda with the South African President Nelson Mandela

  • To become the Prime Minister of India, he had to resign from his post as the CM of Karnataka.
  • He became a member of the Rajya Sabha to continue serving as the PM as he had not been elected to the parliament.

    Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a photo together

    Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a photo together

  • Under his leadership, the metro system in New Delhi was started.
  • His government in the centre collapsed in 1997 after the Indian National Congress (INC) brought a no-confidence motion against him, which he failed to clear. Out of 545 votes, his party could receive only 158 votes.
  • The INC reportedly brought the motion after the Gowda-led Union government failed to block the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government in coalition in Uttar Pradesh.
  • Even though he held the position of PM, he is known to have never let his family or close relatives take advantage of his position. According to The New York Times, at the time of his Prime Ministership, Deva did not help his brother pay a $6,500 debt that he took for farming purposes.
  • He formed the Janata Dal (Secular) with Siddaramaiah in 1999 after breaking off with the Janata Party after it supported the BJP-led NDA government in the centre.

    A photo of Deve Gowda taken during a press conference in an event organised with the JD(S)

    A photo of Deve Gowda taken during a press conference in an event organised with the JD(S)

  • In 2001, acid was thrown at his wife, Chennamma, and daughter-in-law, Bhavani. The attack was a cause of a family feud with Besava, Deve Gowda’s brother, as Chennamma had earlier stopped Deve from financially helping his brother.
  • In 2006, JD(S) and the BJP formed a government in Karnataka in an alliance.
  • In May 2013, JD(S) received a setback after its sitting MLA M. P. Prakash resigned from the party along with several others and joined the BJP.
  • He is the only Prime Minister of India who has lost three Lok Sabha elections.

    Deve Gowda's photo taken while he was giving a speech during a rally in Karnataka

    Deve Gowda’s photo taken while he was giving a speech during a rally in Karnataka

  • He became a Rajya Sabha MP in 2020 after failing to enter the parliament as a Lok Sabha MP.

    A photo of H. D. Deve Gowda taken while he was giving a speech in Rajya Sabha

    A photo of H. D. Deve Gowda taken while he was giving a speech in Rajya Sabha

  • As a part of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation under the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, he once visited London.
  • As of April 2024, Gowda’s party, JD(S), is in an alliance with the NDA.

    Deve Gowda with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    Deve Gowda with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

  • He is a follower of Balagangadharnath Swamiji.
  • He does yoga every day.

    Deve Gowda doing yoga

    Deve Gowda doing yoga

  • In an interview, H. D. Deve Gowda revealed that he used to consume non-vegetarian. However, he turned vegetarian after he saw the cruelty the animals suffered at the slaughterhouses.
  • He is very spiritual and reads Aditya Hrudayam, a Hindu scripture dedicated to the sun, after waking up.
  • His staple diet is mudde (ragi ball) and soppu saaru (greens curry). For breakfast, he prefers eating idli, dosa, and vegetables.
  • Before entering national politics, Deve was not well-versed in Hindi. He learned the language after becoming Prime Minister of India.
  • He is a strong believer in astrology. As per him, he never makes any decision without consulting the Gowda family astrologer.
  • In an interview, Deve Gowda revealed that he finds it difficult to sleep while campaigning for his party in the elections. To sleep, he often has to consume sleeping pills.
  • He is an avid traveller and has visited many places in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
  • In April 2024, the JD(S) expelled his grandson, Prajwal Revanna, from the party after many women of sexual assault accused him.

References/Sources:[+]