Ramakrishna Hegde
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Ramakrishna Hegde | |
---|---|
Chief Minister of Karnataka | |
In office 10 January 1983 – 10 August 1988 | |
Preceded by | R. Gundu Rao |
Succeeded by | S. R. Bommai |
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
In office 10 April 1996 – 9 April 2002 | |
Constituency | Karnataka |
In office 10 April 1978 – 23 May 1983 | |
Succeeded by | Sarojini Mahishi |
Constituency | Karnataka |
Personal details | |
Born | British India | 29 August 1926
Died | 12 January 2004 Bangalore, Karnataka, India | (aged 77)
Political party | Janata Dal (United) |
Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress, Janata Party, Janata Dal, Lok Shakti |
Spouse | Shakuntala Hegde |
Ramakrishna Mahabaleshwar Hegde (29 August 1926 – 12 January 2004) was an Indian politician who served as the third
Early life
Hegde was born at
Political career
Hegde became the president of the Uttara Kannada District Congress Committee from 1954 to 1957 and rose to become the general secretary of the Mysore Pradesh Congress Committee in 1958, a post he held until 1962. Much of his early administrative experience was built up during the governments of S. Nijalingappa (1956–58 and 1962–68) and Veerendra Patil (1968–71). He was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1957 and appointed a deputy minister. He was later promoted to cabinet-minister rank, holding diverse portfolios such as Youth Welfare and Sports, Cooperation, Industries, Planning, Panchayat Raj, Development, Information and Publicity, Excise and Finance between 1962 and 1971.[3]
During the famous split in the Congress in 1969, Hegde followed in the footsteps of his mentor Nijalingappa and joined the
Chief Minister of Karnataka
When the Janata Party came to power by emerging as the single largest party in the 1983 State elections, he emerged as a consensus Brahmin candidate between the powerful
Following the poor performance of the Janata Party in the 1984 elections to the 8th Lok Sabha (it won only 4 out of the 28 seats from Karnataka), Hegde resigned on the grounds that his party had lost its popular mandate and sought a fresh mandate for his government. In the 1985 elections, the Janata Party came to power on its own with a comfortable majority. As Chief Minister between 1983 and 1985 and again between 1985 and 1988, he became an active votary of State rights within a federal set-up, but one who made no concession to regional or linguistic chauvinism. Secondly, he took innovative initiatives in expanding the federal principle within the State, primarily in the area of devolving power to local bodies and in trying to enforce accountability. During his Chief Minister-ship, Karnataka pioneered legislation on Panchayat Raj that devolved a substantial degree of financial and administrative powers to a three-tiered structure of local government. He supported the tireless work of his Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Abdul Nazir Sab, in promoting devolution of power to the gram panchayats in the state, and the Karnataka implementation became a role model for the rest of India.[7] In 1984 he introduced legislation to deal with official and administrative corruption through the institution of the Lokayukta.[8] Also, he started the 'Kannada watchdog panel' to oversee the implementation of Kannada in administration.[9] He has the rare distinction of presenting thirteen finance budgets in the state assembly.[3]
As Chief Minister, Hegde enjoyed immense personal popularity and was acknowledged as an efficient administrator.[10] However, as days passed by, his rule was mired with several scams involving alleged corruption on the part of his own family. His son was accused of taking money for a medical seat. There were allegations made by the Congress (I) against him in a case involving the transfer of shares by the NGEF company.[11]
He submitted resignation from Chief Minister-ship on 13 February 1986 when the Karnataka High Court censured his government for the way it handled arrack bottling contracts, but withdrew his resignation after three days on 16 February.[12]
He resigned and quit office in 1988 after allegations of phone tapping of prominent politicians and businessmen in the State.[13][14] Hegde then filed a case against Subramanian Swamy in 1989 and 1990 after Swamy accused him in tapping.[15][16][17] Soon after, he quit the Janata Party and joined the Janata Dal.
He contested Lok Sabha elections from Bagalkot in 1991 and was defeated by Congress candidate Siddu Nyamagouda.[18]
He was also the Deputy Chairman of the
Personal life
Hegde was married at a very young age to Shakuntala Amma, in a match arranged by their families in the usual Indian way. The marriage lasted throughout their lives. They had three children, a son named Bharath appa and two daughters named Mamata and Samata. Shakuntala is a conventional lady, a devoted wife and mother, who adhered to the traditional view that a woman's dignity exists in staying away from the public gaze and the rough and tumble of public life. She continues to reside in Bangalore after Hegde's death, and had to suffer the pain of witnessing the early death of her only son, Bharath, who died of liver cancer in February 2013. Shakuntala Amma Hegde is now of very advanced age and is being cared for by her two daughters.
Hegde was also the romantic partner of a renowned Indian classical dancer Pratibha Prahlad who was junior to him by 36 years, from the 1980s until his death in 2004. He is also the biological father of her twin sons, Chirantan and Chirayu, who were born in 1998.[23]
Later life
Despite the weakening of his political stock, Hegde continued to play the role of elder statesman in the fractious Janata Parivar.[5] He gradually moved away from active politics owing to poor health. He died in Bangalore on 12 January 2004 after prolonged illness at the age of 77.[24] His death caused an outpouring of grief in Karnataka.[25][26][27]
A versatile personality, Hegde also acted in many dramas and films such as Marana Mrudanga, Prajashakti.[28] He was the political mentor of a large number of politicians such as Jeevaraj Alva, Abdul Samad Siddiqui, M. P. Prakash, P. G. R. Sindhia, R. V. Deshpande, and groomed many younger politicians. In the latter part of his life he became depressed and trusted only few friends like Alva, Siddiqui and advocate Manas Ranjan, along with his partner, Prathibha Prahlad, who he confided in and spent his free time with. His wife, Shakuntala, unsuccessfully contested Rajya Sabha as a BJP candidate in 2004.[29]
References
- ^ "Rajya Sabha Members Biographical Sketches 1952 – 2003: H" (PDF). pp. 3–4. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ "Hegde, a multifaceted personality". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 27 February 2004.
- ^ a b c "Ramakrishna Hegde dead". rediff.com.
- ^ George Mathew, ed. (1984). Shift in Indian Politics: 1983 Elections in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Edited by George Mathew.
- ^ a b "Pillar of anti-Congress movement". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "State unit History". Bharatiya Janata Party- Karnataka. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "The man behind panchayat raj". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "Ramakrishna Hegde, 1926–2004". The Hindu. 14 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "Unflinching loyalty to Kannada". The Hindu. 14 January 2004. Archived from the original on 7 March 2004.
- ^ "Hegde termed a model administrator". The Hindu. 14 January 2004. Archived from the original on 24 February 2004.
- ^ "A Bomb waiting to explode". Outlook.
- ^ "City in a Bottle". The Caravan.
- ^ "Phone tapping: What 1997 Supreme Court verdict says". rediff.com.
- ^ Times of India
- ^ "Court document". Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Watch out! Your phone may be tapped". The Times of India. 4 August 2005.
- ^ "Dr. Subramaniam Swamy vs Ramakrishna Hegde on 18 October, 1989". Indian Kanoon. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Former Union Minister and Congress MLA Siddu B Nyamagouda dies in road accident thenewsminute.com
- ^ "Taming A Rival". Outlook.
- ^ "Hegde launches national party Lok Shakti". Business Standard. 17 February 1997.
- ^ "Messages from the states: Karnataka". frontline.
- ^ "The swadeshi route to liberalisation". frontline.
- ^ "Destiny's child". Sudha Pillai. Times Of India. 25 January 2004.
- ^ "Ramakrishna Hegde passes away". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 20 January 2004.
- ^ "Leaders recall Hegde's contribution". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "Admirers throng Hegde's residence". The Hindu. 13 January 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "A Tribute to Hegde".
- ^ "Hero Hedge!". Rediff.com.
- ^ "Shakuntala fails to make it to RS". Deccan Herald. 29 June 2004.