N. Dharam Singh.. | |
---|---|
17th Chief Minister of Karnataka | |
In office 28 May 2004 – 28 January 2006 |
|
Governor | T. N. Chaturvedi |
Preceded by | S. M. Krishna |
Succeeded by | H. D. Kumaraswamy |
Constituency | Jevargi |
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
In office 2009–2014 |
|
Preceded by | Narsingrao Suryawanshi |
Succeeded by | Bhagwanth Khuba |
Constituency | Bidar |
Member of the Legislative Assembly | |
In office 1978–2008 |
|
Preceded by | O. S. Narayan Singh |
Succeeded by | Doddappagouda Patil |
Constituency | Jevargi |
Personal details | |
Born |
Nelogi, Jevargi, Gulbarga, Hyderabad State, British India |
25 December 1936
Died | 27 July 2017 Bangalore, India |
(aged 80)
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Spouse(s) | Prabhavati |
Alma mater | Osmania University |
Dharam Singh Narayan Singh (25 December 1936 – 27 July 2017) was an Indian politician who was the 17th Chief Minister of Karnataka, a state in southern India, from 2004 to 2006. He was a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for seven consecutive terms and a Member of Parliament representing Bidar in the 14th Lok Sabha.
Dharam Singh was born in Nelogi village of Jevargi taluk in Gulbarga district of the erstwhile Hyderabad State (in present-day Karnataka). He obtained his master's and law degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
Singh began his career in politics as an Independent Corporator in the Gulbarga district City Municipal Council by contesting against his own brother. He started his political career as a socialist. He was brought up under the influence of Bhim Sena founder B. Shyam Sunder. He was tSecretary of Hyderabad Karnataka Youth League.
In the late 1960s, he joined the Indian National Congress and his loyalty made him a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister in 2004.
He gave up the Kalaburgi Lok Sabha seat of which he was the Member of Parliament to accommodate C.M. Stephen, who was a Union Minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet, in 1980 on Indira Gandhi's directions.
He has served as a minister under various chief ministers such as Devaraj Urs, R. Gundu Rao, S. Bangarappa, M. Veerappa Moily and S. M. Krishna, and has handled diverse portfolios such as Home, Excise, Social Welfare, Urban Development and Revenue. He was KPCC president in the 1990s when his party was out of power. At that time, the Congress' national leadership was headed by Sitaram Kesri, for whom Singh was said to be a favourite. He lost out to his senior colleague S. M. Krishna in the race to the Chief Minister's post in 1999. Then, he joined the Krishna ministry and handled the Public Works Department portfolio.