Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy is the president of the Janata Dal (Secular) and has served as the chief minister of Karnataka from 2006 to 2008.
He is the son of HD Dewe Gowda, India’s former prime minister and the founder of the JD(S).
Kumaraswamy, 59, entered politics in 1996 to win the Kanakapura Lok Sabha seat in the general elections. In 2004, Kumaraswamy led the JD(S) to walkout of an alliance with the Congress party, after the chief ministerial berth went to Congress’ Dharam Singh. In 2006, with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s support, Kumaraswamy became the Karnataka chief minister for a year.
Popularly known as Kumaranna, he is being projected as the CM-in-waiting by the JD(S). Kumaraswamy is contesting from the Ramanagara constituency, from where he has won the last three elections as well as the neighbouring town of Channapatna.