Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda (born 18 March 1953) is an Indian politician who served as the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers of India in the Second Modi ministry from 14 November 2018 to 7 July 2021. He also served as the Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation of India from 5 July 2016 to 24 May 2019 in the First Modi ministry. He is representing the Bangalore North constituency. He also held Ministry of Railways and other cabinet positions in the First Modi ministry. He also served as the 14th Chief Minister of Karnataka.
He previously served as the Minister of Law and Justice, having been shifted from the Ministry of Railways in the cabinet reshuffle of 5 July 2016. At the end of the previous Lok Sabha, he was the Minister of Statistics and Program Implementation. He then stepped down from his post of Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers ahead of the cabinet reshuffle in July 2021.
Early life
Sadananda Gowda was born in a Tulu Gowda family of Venkappa Gowda and Kamala in Mandekolu village of Sulya taluk in Karnataka. Gowda graduated in Science from Saint Philomena College, Puttur and went on to obtain his degree in law at Udupi's Vaikunta Baliga College of Law. He became active in student politics during this period and was elected General Secretary of the Students Union of the Law College. Subsequently, he became the District General Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
In 1976, he started practising law at both Sulya and Puttur. He was a public prosecutor for a brief period at Sirsi in the District of Uttara Kannada but resigned from his position to concentrate on his political career. Sadananda Gowda has served in the Co-operative Movement in Karnataka in various capacities: Vice-president of SCDCC Bank, Mangalore Director, SKACM Society, Mangalore Director, CAMPCO, Mangalore (1991–94) President, Mandekolu S.C.Society, Mandekolu, Sullia Member, State PLD Bank staff Selection Committee (1989–90)
Sadananda Gowda has worked for the labour movement being the General Secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Puttur Division and President of Sullia Taluk Auto Rickshaw Drivers and Owners Union.
Political career
He began his political career as a member of the Jan Sangh. He was President of the party's Sulya Assembly segment. After the split of the Janata Party, he became a member of the BJP. Later on, he served the BJP as Dakshina Kannada BJP Yuva Morcha President, Dakshina Kannada BJP Vice-president, State BJP Yuva Morcha Secretary (1983–88), State BJP Secretary (2003–04) and National Secretary of the party (2004).
Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Sadananda Gowda was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1994 and 1999 from the Puttur Assembly seat in Dakshina Kannada. He became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in his second term as MLA. He has served in various committees of the Karnataka State legislature including the Cell for preparing Draft Bill on prohibiting Atrocities on Women, Karnataka, the Committee of Energy, Fuel, and Power, and the Committee for Public Undertaking. He was nominated as the President of the Public Accounts Committee in 2003.
Lok Sabha
He was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 from the Mangalore Lok Sabha seat, defeating Veerappa Moily of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 32,314 votes. In 2009, the party shifted him to the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency. In parliament, he was on the Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests. In the 14th Lok Sabha, he was a member of the Committee on Commerce. The Government of India had appointed him as Director of Coffee Board during January 2005.
In 2006, Sadananda Gowda was appointed President of Karnataka State BJP. He earned national prominence being the President when BJP won an assembly election for the first time in South India in May 2008.
He was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Udupi Chikmagalur Constituency before he became the Chief Minister of Karnataka.