Who would have thought that a man belonging to a lower-middle-class-family and a civil engineer by profession would become the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy? But it became a matter of fact when H.D. Deve Gowda of Karnataka took the oath of Prime Ministership in 1996.
H.D. Deve Gowda was born on May 18, 1933 at Haradanahalli in Karnataka. After receiving a degree in civil engineering, he started taking part in local level politics at the age of 23.
He was elected to the Regional Legislative Assembly of Karnataka and served four consecutive terms from 1962 till 977. In 1996, when the Congress Party was savaged in general elections, he was chosen the Prime Minister of the United Front Coalition Government. He headed the United Front Alliance comprising of 13 parties, representing mostly backward caste Indians. But the very next year, Gowda had to resign from the post following the loss of vote of confidence April 11.