H. D. Deve Gowda

HD Deve Gowda ( Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Dodde; Kannada: ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ. ದೇವೇಗೌಡ; born May 18, 1933 Haradanahalli, Karnataka ) was from 1 June 1996 to April 21, 1997 Prime Minister of India.

Deve Gowda comes from the district of Hassan in Karnataka. He was a member of the Congress Party in 1953 and remained a member until 1962. Afterwards, he ran as an independent candidate and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka. He was re-elected several times in the following years and in 1977 headed the responsibilities of public relations and land irrigation. He retired in 1982 from the Cabinet after it was denied an increase for the area irrigation.

Deve Gowda in 1991 was elected to the Lok Sabha. In 1994 he headed the Janata Dal party and in the same year, Chief Minister of Karnataka. When in 1996 could represent a clear majority in the parliamentary elections, no party was Deve Gowda by a coalition of several parties as surprising compromise candidate for prime minister.

His son HD Kumaraswamy is also politicians in Karnataka and has held the office of Chief Minister of the state for one and a half years.