Sarekoppa Bangarappa facts for kids

Sarekoppa Bangarappa (born 26 October 1933 – died 26 December 2011) was an important Indian politician. He served as the 6th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1990 to 1992.

He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Karnataka for many years, from 1967 to 1996. After that, he ran for the Lok Sabha (India's main parliament) six times between 1996 and 2009, winning four of those elections.

Bangarappa started two political parties: the Karnataka Vikas Party and the Karnataka Congress Party. His supporters called him Solillada Saradara, which means "a leader who cannot be defeated." Throughout his 44-year career, he was a member of several different parties, including the Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Samajwadi Party, and Janata Dal (Secular). Because he changed parties often, some people called him a "party-hopper."

Early Life and Education

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was born on 26 October 1933. His birthplace was Kubatur village in the Soraba area of Shimoga district, Karnataka.

In 1958, he married Shakuntala. They had five children together. Two of his sons, Kumar Bangarappa and Madhu Bangarappa, also became politicians.

Bangarappa studied hard and earned several degrees. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree. He also had a diploma in Social Science.

Political Journey

Bangarappa started his political journey as a socialist. In 1967, he was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. He represented the Soraba area in Shimoga district.

He became known for supporting people from the backward classes. He belonged to the Deevaru-Idiga community himself. Later, he joined the Indian National Congress (INC).

Becoming a Minister

Bangarappa became a minister in the government led by Devaraj Urs. His first role was Minister of State in the Home department in 1977. In 1978, he became the Cabinet Minister for Public Works. From 1980 to 1981, he served as the Revenue and Agriculture Minister. He was also the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee for a year in 1979.

In 1983, he left the INC and joined the Karnataka Kranti Ranga. This party had been started by Devaraj Urs. The Karnataka Kranti Ranga worked with the Janata Party. This led to the first non-INC government in Karnataka in 1983.

Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister

Bangarappa was chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1985. He held this important position until 1987. After the Congress party won in 1989, he became the Agriculture Minister.

In 1990, he was appointed as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He took over from Veerendra Patil. During his time as Chief Minister, he started three popular programs:

• Aradhana: This program aimed to fix and rebuild 36,000 religious places.
• Ashraya: This program helped build houses for people who were poor.
• Vishwa: This program gave financial help to rural artists and small home-based businesses.

He was replaced as Chief Minister in 1992 by Veerappa Moily. This happened after his government faced challenges, including problems with water sharing during the Cauvery riots.

Changing Political Parties

After leaving the Chief Minister's role, Bangarappa left the INC. He then formed his own party, the Karnataka Congress Party (KCP). He continued to win elections, showing that many voters supported him personally.

In 1996, he left his long-held Soraba assembly seat. He then ran for the Lok Sabha from the Shimoga area and won as a KCP candidate. He later formed another party, the Karnataka Vikas Party (KVP), but lost the Lok Sabha election in 1998.

However, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1999 as an INC candidate. In 2004, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and won the Lok Sabha election again with many votes. In 2005, he left the BJP and joined the Samajwadi Party. He won a special election to the Lok Sabha that year.

In 2008, he ran for a state assembly seat against Yeddyurappa of the BJP but lost. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he lost to Yeddyurappa's son, B. Y. Raghavendra. In this last election, Bangarappa was representing the INC. In December 2010, he joined the Janata Dal (Secular) party.

Later Years and Death

Sarekoppa Bangarappa had diabetes. He passed away on 26 December 2011 in a hospital in Bangalore. He died due to several health issues.

His funeral was held in his home village with state honors. Many supporters attended to pay their respects. His sons, Kumar and Madhu Bangarappa, are also involved in politics.

Key Positions Held

• 1967-96: Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly (7 terms, from Soraba)
• 1977-78: Minister of State, Home, Government of Karnataka
• 1978-79: Cabinet Minister, Public Works Department, Government of Karnataka
• 1979-80: President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
• 1980-81: Minister, Revenue and Agriculture, Government of Karnataka
• 1985-87: Leader of Opposition, Karnataka Legislative Assembly
• 1989-90: Minister, Agriculture and Horticulture, Government of Karnataka
• 1990-92: Chief Minister, Karnataka
• 1996: Elected to 11th Lok Sabha as a KCP candidate
• 1998: President, Karnataka Vikas Paksha
• 1999: Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (2nd term) as an INC candidate
• 2004: Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (3rd term) as a BJP candidate
• 2005: Re-elected to Lok Sabha in a special election from Samajwadi party
• 2008: Lost in State Assembly elections (to Yediyurappa in Shikaripura)
• 2009: Lost in 2009 General Elections of Lok Sabha, Shimoga seat
• December 2010: Joined the JD (S)