Mallikarjun Kharge
Encyclopedia
Mallikarjun Kharge, is an Indian politician and currently the Union Minister of Labour and Employment
of the Republic of India. He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha
of India
. He represents the Gulbarga
constituency of Karnataka
and is a member of the Indian National Congress
(INC) political party.
He is a senior Karnataka politician and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly prior to contesting the 2009 General Elections
. Prior to that he was the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
during the 2008 Karnataka State Assembly Elections.
He has won elections for a record 10 consecutive times having won the Assembly elections for an unprecedented 9 consecutive times (1972, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008) and the recent 2009 General Elections
from Gulbarga. Kharge is considered a competent leader with a clean public image and well versed in the dynamics of politics, legislation and administration.
to Mapanna Kharge and Sabavva. He finished his schooling from Nutan Vidyalaya in Gulbarga and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Government College, Gulbarga
and his Law degree from the Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College in Gulbarga. He started his legal practise as a junior in Justice Shivraj Patil's office and fought cases for labour unions early in his legal career.
In 1973, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Octroi Abolition Committee which went into the question of revitalising the economy of the municipal and civic bodies in the state of Karnataka. Based on its report, the then Devaraj Urs Government abolished the levy of octroi at multiple points.
In 1974, he was appointed as the Chairman of State owned Leather Development Corporation and worked to improve the living conditions of thousands of cobblers who were indulging in leather tanning industry. Work sheds cum residences were built across the state for their benefit during this time.
In 1976, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Primary Education, during which time, over 16,000 backlog vacancies of SC/STs teachers were filled up by recruiting them directly into the service. Grants under Grant-in-aid code were given to schools run by SC/ST managements for the first time.
In 1978, he was elected for the second time as MLA from Gurmitkal constituency and was appointed as Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the Devaraj Urs ministry.
In 1980, he became the Minister for Revenue in the Gundu Rao Cabinet. During this time, the focus was on effective Land Reforms resulting in giving occupancy rights to millions of land-less tillers and labourers. More than 400 land tribunals were constituted to expedite the transfer of land rights to the tillers.
In 1983, he was elected for the third time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal.
In 1985, he was elected for the fourth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal and was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.
In 1989, he was elected for the fifth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal.
In 1990, he joined Bangarappa
’s Cabinet as the Minister for Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, portfolios he had held earlier and brought about significant change. Restarting the Land Reforms process that had stopped in the interim, resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of land being registered in the name of the landless tillers.
Between, 1992 and 1994, he was the Minister for Co-operation, Medium and Large Industries in the Veerappa Moily
Cabinet.
In 1994, he was elected for the sixth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
In 1999, he was elected for the seventh time to the Karnataka Assembly and was a front runner to the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka. He became Minister for Home in the S. M. Krishna
Cabinet during a particularly trying time for Karnataka especially the Dr. Rajkumar kidnap by the notorious poacher Veerappan
and the Cauvery Riots.
In 2004, he was elected for the eighth consecutive time to the Karnataka Assembly and was once again considered a front runner to the post of the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He became the Minister for Transport and Water Resources in the Dharam Singh
led coalition government.
In 2005, he was appointed as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. In the Panchayat elections held soon after, Congress won the largest number of seats compared to BJP and JD(S) indicating a revival of the Congress fortunes in the rural areas of Karnataka. .
In 2008, he was elected for the record ninth consecutive time to the Assembly from Chitapur. Though the Congress party put up a better show when compared to the 2004 elections, the Congress lost the elections with a majority of the senior leaders losing. He was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition for the second time in 2008.
In 2009, Kharge contested the General Elections from Gulbarga Parliamentary constituency and won his tenth consecutive election.
on January 7, 2009.
The idol of Buddha was consecrated by The Dalai Lama
on January 19, 2009 along with several religious leaders including the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
, Murugha Rajendra Sharanaru of Chitradurga, Chennamalla Swamiji of Manavdharma Peeta Nidumamidi, Robert Michel Miranda, the Bishop of Gulbarga, Sharanabasappa Appa of Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthana.
He is the Patron of Chowdiah Memorial Hall
which is one of the premier concert and theater venues in Bangalore and helped the centre get over its debts and aided the centre’s plans for renovation.
Minister of Labour and Employment (India)
The Minister of Labour and Employment is the head of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India....
of the Republic of India. He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha
15th Lok Sabha
Members of the 15th Lok Sabha were elected in 2009 during the General Elections in India.- Important members :* Speaker: Meira Kumar, Indian National Congress, Sasaram, Bihar...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He represents the Gulbarga
Gulbarga (Lok Sabha constituency)
Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha in Karnataka state in southern India. This constituency was created before the second general elections in 1957.-Assembly segments:...
constituency of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and is a member of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
(INC) political party.
He is a senior Karnataka politician and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly prior to contesting the 2009 General Elections
Indian general election, 2009
India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date.By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be...
. Prior to that he was the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee is the unit of the Indian National Congress for the state of Karnataka. Its headoffice is situated at the Congress Bhawan, Queens Road, Bangalore ....
during the 2008 Karnataka State Assembly Elections.
He has won elections for a record 10 consecutive times having won the Assembly elections for an unprecedented 9 consecutive times (1972, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008) and the recent 2009 General Elections
Indian general election, 2009
India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date.By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be...
from Gulbarga. Kharge is considered a competent leader with a clean public image and well versed in the dynamics of politics, legislation and administration.
Early life and background
Mallikarjun Kharge was born in Warwatti, KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
to Mapanna Kharge and Sabavva. He finished his schooling from Nutan Vidyalaya in Gulbarga and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Government College, Gulbarga
Gulbarga
Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...
and his Law degree from the Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College in Gulbarga. He started his legal practise as a junior in Justice Shivraj Patil's office and fought cases for labour unions early in his legal career.
Early career
Kharge started his political career as a student union leader while in the Government College, Gulbarga when he was elected as the General Secretary of the students' body. In 1969, he became the legal advisor to the MSK Mills Employees' Union. He was also an influential labour union leader of Samyukta Majdoor Sangha and led many agitations fighting for the rights of labourers. In 1969, he joined the Indian National Congress and became President of the Gulbarga City Congress CommitteePolitical career
He first contested for the Karnataka State Assembly elections in 1972 and won from Gurmitkal constituency.In 1973, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Octroi Abolition Committee which went into the question of revitalising the economy of the municipal and civic bodies in the state of Karnataka. Based on its report, the then Devaraj Urs Government abolished the levy of octroi at multiple points.
In 1974, he was appointed as the Chairman of State owned Leather Development Corporation and worked to improve the living conditions of thousands of cobblers who were indulging in leather tanning industry. Work sheds cum residences were built across the state for their benefit during this time.
In 1976, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Primary Education, during which time, over 16,000 backlog vacancies of SC/STs teachers were filled up by recruiting them directly into the service. Grants under Grant-in-aid code were given to schools run by SC/ST managements for the first time.
In 1978, he was elected for the second time as MLA from Gurmitkal constituency and was appointed as Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the Devaraj Urs ministry.
In 1980, he became the Minister for Revenue in the Gundu Rao Cabinet. During this time, the focus was on effective Land Reforms resulting in giving occupancy rights to millions of land-less tillers and labourers. More than 400 land tribunals were constituted to expedite the transfer of land rights to the tillers.
In 1983, he was elected for the third time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal.
In 1985, he was elected for the fourth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal and was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.
In 1989, he was elected for the fifth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal.
In 1990, he joined Bangarappa
Bangarappa
S. Bangarappa is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Karnataka. He represented Shimoga constituency in the 14th Lok Sabha. He currently belongs to the Janata Dal ....
’s Cabinet as the Minister for Revenue, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, portfolios he had held earlier and brought about significant change. Restarting the Land Reforms process that had stopped in the interim, resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of land being registered in the name of the landless tillers.
Between, 1992 and 1994, he was the Minister for Co-operation, Medium and Large Industries in the Veerappa Moily
Veerappa Moily
Moodbidri Veerappa Moily is the current Minister of Corporate Affairs in the Indian government. Moily was elected as MP of the Chickballapur district by a wide margin in 2009. He currently serves as the All India Congress Committee General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh...
Cabinet.
In 1994, he was elected for the sixth time to the Karnataka Assembly from Gurmitkal and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
In 1999, he was elected for the seventh time to the Karnataka Assembly and was a front runner to the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka. He became Minister for Home in the S. M. Krishna
S. M. Krishna
Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna , generally referred to as S. M. Krishna, is the Minister of External Affairs and a member of the Indian Parliament from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to...
Cabinet during a particularly trying time for Karnataka especially the Dr. Rajkumar kidnap by the notorious poacher Veerappan
Veerappan
Koose Muniswamy Veerappan commonly known as Veerappan, was a notorious dacoit, or robber bandit, of India. He was active for a period of years in a broad swath of land covering 6,000 km² in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
and the Cauvery Riots.
In 2004, he was elected for the eighth consecutive time to the Karnataka Assembly and was once again considered a front runner to the post of the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He became the Minister for Transport and Water Resources in the Dharam Singh
Dharam Singh
Narayan Dharam Singh , , was the 17th Chief Minister of Karnataka state in India and a former Lok Sabha member. He was sworn into office on May 28, 2004, and left office on February 3, 2006. He represents Congress in the state. The coalition government formed by the Congress with the help of...
led coalition government.
In 2005, he was appointed as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. In the Panchayat elections held soon after, Congress won the largest number of seats compared to BJP and JD(S) indicating a revival of the Congress fortunes in the rural areas of Karnataka. .
In 2008, he was elected for the record ninth consecutive time to the Assembly from Chitapur. Though the Congress party put up a better show when compared to the 2004 elections, the Congress lost the elections with a majority of the senior leaders losing. He was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition for the second time in 2008.
In 2009, Kharge contested the General Elections from Gulbarga Parliamentary constituency and won his tenth consecutive election.
Union Minister
In May, 2009, Kharge was appointed as the Minister for Labour and Employment in Manmohan Singh Cabinet.Philanthropic and Social Activities
He is the Founder-Chairman of Siddharth Vihar Trust that has built the inspiring Buddha Vihar in Gulbarga, India. The Buddhist Temple was inaugurated by the President of IndiaPresident of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
on January 7, 2009.
The idol of Buddha was consecrated by The Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
on January 19, 2009 along with several religious leaders including the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation , which aims at relieving individual stress, societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status...
, Murugha Rajendra Sharanaru of Chitradurga, Chennamalla Swamiji of Manavdharma Peeta Nidumamidi, Robert Michel Miranda, the Bishop of Gulbarga, Sharanabasappa Appa of Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthana.
He is the Patron of Chowdiah Memorial Hall
Chowdiah Memorial Hall
Chowdiah Memorial Hall is a cultural centre in Bangalore which provides a home for musical and theatrical performances as well as competitions. Located in Malleswaram, it was built as a tribute to Tirumakudalu Chowdiah. It is administered by Academy of Music, an independent registered body, founded...
which is one of the premier concert and theater venues in Bangalore and helped the centre get over its debts and aided the centre’s plans for renovation.