G. Parameshwara

G. Parameshwara Biography

G. Parameshwara is a senior politician from Karnataka, who currently serves as Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. He is the first dalit leader of the state to hold this power in Karnataka politics. He is a member of Indian National Congress since 1989 and has completed 3 decades with the same party. He is the longest-served President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee for two consecutive terms, and Leader of the House for Karnataka Legislative Council during 1 July 2016 – 24 June 2017. He served as Home Minister of Karnataka during 30 October 2015 – 24 June 2017, and has held different portfolios during different terms under Congress ministry.

Parameshwara Gangadharaiah was born on 6 August 1951 in Gollahalli, Tumkur, Mysore State. He joined the National Cadet Corps (India) at an early age, and was an athlete during academic years. He also participated in inter-college athletic meets. He married Kannika Parameshwari, his friend's sister in 1982 and it was a love marriage. The couple has one daughter. Parameshwara is an art collector who loves to pick interesting art pieces during his visits at different places. He was an Administrative Officer in Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, before he joined politics in the late 1980s.

In 1989 he got elected as an MLA for the first time from Madhugiri Constituency. He served as Minister of State for Sericulture during 1992-1994. In 1999 elections, he set up a new record registering a major win of 55,802 votes. In S. M. Krishna’s cabinet, he held the portfolios - Higher Education, Science & Technology, Medical Education and Information & Publicity at different points of time. He served Home Minister of Karnataka during 2015-2017, and currently is the deputy Chief Minister.

Published: January 14, 2019

Updated: January 14, 2019