Dinesh Gundu Rao is an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress. He was elected MLA from Gandhi Nagar, Karnataka assembly constituency for six consecutive terms between 1999 and 2023. He took charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for Goa, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu in 2020. Before this, he has served as a minister. Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (20 May 2015 – 21 June 2016) and President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (4 July 2018 – 11 March 2020).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Dinesh Gundu Rao was born on Thursday, 9 October 1969 (age 53 years; as of 2022) in Kushalanagar, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India. His zodiac sign is Libra. He studied at Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bengaluru. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications from BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru in 1992.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 11″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
family and caste
Dinesh Gundu Rao belongs to a Kannada Brahmin family.
parents and siblings
His father, R. Gundu Rao (deceased), was the Chief Minister of Karnataka state from 1980 to 1983. He died of cancer on 22 August 1993 in London.
Dinesh Gundu Rao with his father R Gundu Rao
His mother named Varalakshmi Gundu Rao (deceased) was also a politician who entered politics in 1996 after the death of her husband. In 1996, she contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bengaluru South to BJP candidate Ananth Kumar and lost. He died in 2021 due to COVID-related illness.
Dinesh Gundu Rao’s mother, Varalakshmi Rao
He is the second among the three sons of his parents. His brother Rajesh Gundu Rao was an actor, who died in 2012 due to a brain hemorrhage. He was associated with Janata Dal (Secular) and distanced himself from the party after being denied the post of JD(S) youth wing president. His brother Mahesh Gundu Rao is also a politician associated with BJP.
Rajesh Gundu Rao, brother of Dinesh Gundu Rao
wife and children
On 16 December 1994, she married Tabassum Rao (also known as Tabu Dinesh Rao), whom she met through mutual friends in college. Tabassum belongs to a Muslim family. Neither of them converted to marry. Everyone follows their own religion and participates in each other’s festivals. Tabu said in an interview,
Yes very true. I am a pluralist. I participate in Hindu puja and rituals at home and participate in all Hindu festivals. Similarly, my husband celebrates Eid.”
They have two daughters, Ananya Rao and Amira Rao.
Dinesh Gundu Rao with his wife Tabu Dinesh Rao and daughter Ananya Rao
Dinesh Gundu Rao with his daughters
religion/religious views
He follows Hindu religion.
signature/autograph
Signature of Dinesh Gundu Rao
livelihood
He became the working president of the Youth Congress in 1994. However, within a few months, Dinesh backed off when he realized that the huge opposition he faced was quite justified since he was a newcomer. Therefore, he was made the General Secretary in his place. He worked at the grassroots level for the party until 1999.
Dinesh Gundu Rao with other Congress leaders during a political campaign
In 1999, he contested the Karnataka Legislative Assembly election from Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency and won the seat by defeating independent candidate V. Nagaraj by 1115 votes. In 2004, Gundu Rao defeated JD(S) candidate Nagaraj by a margin of 28,268 votes and followed it up in 2008 by defeating BJP candidate PC Mohan by a margin of 6,966 votes. He repeated his success in 2013 when he defeated BJP candidate PC Mohan by 22607 votes. He was the Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in the Siddaramaiah government from 20 May 2015 to 21 June 2016. In 2016, fourteen ministers, including Gundu Rao, were dropped from the Karnataka cabinet in a major reshuffle by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Renew his image. Rao was re-elected as MLA from Gandhi Nagar in 2018. On 4 July 2018, Rao was appointed as the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee; He served in that position until 11 March 2020.
Dinesh Gundu Rao during his inauguration ceremony as KPCC president in 2018
On 11 September 2020, he became AICC in-charge for Goa, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. He retained the Gandhi Nagar seat in 2023 by defeating his BJP rival Saptagiri Gowda by a margin of just 105 votes.
controversies
Alleged encroachment on land in Bengaluru North Taluk
In 2014, the Lokayukta police directed the tehsildar of Bengaluru North taluk to submit a report on the alleged encroachment of 47 acres of government land by Dinesh and his family members at Navaratna Agrahara near Devanahalli, Bengaluru North taluka (Yelahanka). Social activist SR Hiremath had complained to the Governor and Lokayukta to investigate the matter. In his report, the Tehsildar confirmed that Rao had encroached upon 10.09 acres of government land in Navratna Agrahara, 5 acres in Survey No. 3 and 5.09 acres in Survey No. 13. The land was jointly owned by Varalakshmi Gundu Rao, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rajesh Gundu Rao and Mahesh Gundu Rao. The family owned 47.34 acres of land, of which 10.09 acres belonged to the government. Gundu Rao denied the allegations, saying that the land he owned was purchased in 1983. Later, officials conducted a survey and took back the additional land.
Derogatory remarks against Yogi Adityanath
In 2018, a heated war of words broke out between the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka after KPCC working president and MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao said that “UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should be beaten with slippers”. He also called Adityanath a dhongi (fraudster) and urged the people of Karnataka to drive him out. He made the controversial statement while speaking at an event organized by the Congress in Bengaluru’s Maurya Circle to protest against the Unnao and Kathua rape incidents. Rao claimed that Adityanath is unfit to become the chief minister. After being strongly criticized by BJP and Congress leaders, Dinesh apologized for his statement through a tweet which read,
My reaction to the Adityanath controversy, it was an emotional outburst in a speech on the plight of the rape victim and the complete apathy of the Adityanath government. I am sorry if this is offensive but misuse of law is a serious issue in UP.
car collection
property and properties
movable property
- Deposits in Banks: Rs. 90,76,580
- Personal Loan/Advance Granted: Rs. 1,05,00,000
- Motor Vehicle: Rs. 93,72,402
Immovable property
- Residential Building: Rs 6,00,00,000
Note: The given estimate of movable and immovable assets is as per the financial year 2022-23. This does not include property owned by his wife and dependents.
net worth
Dinesh Gundu Rao’s net worth is Rs. 7,04,09,815 in 2023. This is not the total assets of his wife and dependents.
Facts/General Knowledge
- In 1993, his father died of cancer in London, leaving his political inheritance to Dinesh, who was an engineer and thinking of moving abroad. In an interview, Dinesh talked about how he decided to enter politics and said,
After my father’s death in 1993, his friends and supporters felt that there was a lot of scope for a member of his family to enter politics in his place. My mother Varalakshmi is a very reserved housewife, my elder brother Mahesh is a quiet, soft-spoken person and my younger brother Rajesh was still a student. It made me the most sociable and outspoken.”
Dinesh joined the Congress and became the working president of the Youth Congress in 1994. However, it was Dinesh’s mother, Varalakshmi, who was first allotted a ticket by the Congress to contest from the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency in 1996. She lost the election by about 20,000. Vote for Civil Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar. Talking about this in an interview, Dinesh said,
Both times the party announced my mother’s name without even asking her. At first the situation overpowered him and he contested the election almost reluctantly. Next time, she was prepared enough and said ‘no’ straight away.’
- His father, R. Gundu Rao once famously declared that he was a “chicken-eating Brahmin”. This comment was highly criticized in the Lingayat and Vokkaliga dominated state of Karnataka, after which his caste started working against him.
- In 2019, there was a scuffle on Twitter between BJP leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde and Dinesh Rao. Addressing a gathering in Kodagu, Karnataka, Hegde said,
“We have to rethink about the priorities of our society. We should not think about caste. If any hand touches a Hindu girl, that hand should cease to exist.
Dinesh posted a tweet quoting Hegde’s statement, which read,
What are your achievements after becoming a Union Minister or MP? What is your contribution to the development of Karnataka? I can definitely say, it is condemnable that such people have become ministers and have managed to get elected as MPs.
Hitting back at Rao, Hegde said,
I will definitely let this person answer the questions of “@Dineshgarao” before he can reveal himself for who he is with his achievements? I only know him as a man who ran after a Muslim woman.
This controversial comment angered Dinesh as well as his wife Tabu and they strongly criticized Hegde for this comment.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn