Two from state make it to Modi's Cabinet

Sadananda Gowda makes debut at Centre; Anath Kumar returns to Parliament for the sixth time

Ananth Kumar

Ananth Kumar, once considered close to party patriarch L K Advani, is from the RSS stable and is known for his political adroitness with his ears close to the ground. Kumar became a sixth time Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South, defeating Congress candidate and IT Czar Nandan Nilekani by a margin of 228,575 votes in what had appeared to be a keen contest that would throw up a challenge to him.

Born in a middleclass Brahmin family on July 22, 1959, 55-year-old Kumar is a Law graduate from Mysore University. Kumar, who was also actively involved with Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, has served in various positions including as State Secretary and later National Secretary of the Parishad in 1985. Joining BJP in 1987, Kumar served as State President of BJP Yuva Morcha in his first assignment.

He was appointed as General Secretary of the party in 1995 and got elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996 from Bangalore South and not looked back in his parliamentary career since then. Kumar served as Minister for Civil Aviation in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet. He had also seved in various ministeries like Tourism, Sports & Youth Affairs, Culture, Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation during the NDA rule.

Gregarious with strong political instincts, Kumar has managed to be in the innner circle of central leadership - be it during the heydays of Vajpayee or Advani and now Modi.

Both Kumar and BJP strongman Yeddyurappa are known for their politically hostile relationship and he often faced accusations of meddling too much in Karnataka affairs particularly when the Lingayat strongman was Chief Minister.

D V Sadananda Gowda

Beginning his political career as a member of the Jan Sangh in late 1970s, former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda makes his ministerial debut at the Centre. The ever-smiling 61-year-old Gowda earned prominence being the President of the Karnataka unit of BJP when the party won the Assembly elections for the first time in South India in May 2008.

Gowda, who became a member of the BJP in Karnataka after the split of the Janata Party, rose to Chief Ministership in 2011. Being active in politics since his College days, Gowda was a leader of the ABVP before becoming a member of the Jan Sangh. He was the party's youth wing Yuva Morcha state secretary (1983-88), state BJP secretary (2003-04) and National Secretary of the party (2004).

Mentored by BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa, Gowda was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1994 and 1999 from the Puttur Assembly Constituency in Dakshina Kannada. He became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in his second term as MLA.

Gowda, an eminent administrator and a key policy-maker, has served in various committees of the Karnataka State Legislature including the Cell for preparing Draft Bill on prohibiting Atrocities on Women, 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. Gowda was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004 from the Mangalore Lok Sabha Constituency, defeating senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily by a margin of 32,314 votes. In 2009, the party shifted him to Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency. In Parliament, he was on the Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests.

In the 14th Lok Sabha, he was a member of the Committee on Commerce. The Centre had appointed him as Director of Coffee Board during January 2005. In 2006, Gowda was appointed as President of Karnataka State BJP. He earned National Prominence as president when BJP won the assembly election for the first time in South India in May 2008. Gowda was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from Udupi Chikmagalur Constituency before he became the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He was chosen as the Chief Minister in August 2011 following the resignation of his mentor Yeddyurappa.

As Chief Minister, he strived hard to improve the image of his party tarnished due to allegations of corruption. He introduced schemes such as Sakaala, aimed at providing time bound services at government offices.

Gowda was later replaced by Jagadish Shettar. After suffering big loss in May 2013 elections, BJP elected Gowda as the opposition leader of legislative council in Karnataka.