23 Facts About Sarekoppa Bangarappa

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was an Indian politician who was the 6th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1990 to 1992.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Karnataka between 1967 and 1996, before contesting a series of six elections for the Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2009, of which he lost two.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa founded both the Karnataka Vikas Party and the Karnataka Congress Party during a 44-year career in which his supporters called him Solillada Saradara.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was born on 26 October 1933 in Kubatur village, Soraba Taluk, Shimoga district, Karnataka.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa married Shakuntala in 1958 and the couple had five children, including the actor Kumar Bangarappa and film maker Madhu Bangarappa, both of whom have been politicians.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, a similar degree in Law and a Diploma in Social Science.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa stayed in Kubaturu with his joint family he had a sister named bangaramma.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1967 from the Soraba constituency of Shimoga district.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa became known as a champion of the backward classes, of which his Deevaru origins made him a member.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa gradually realigned himself with the INC after spending some time supporting the government of Hegde.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1985 and held that post until 1987.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa was appointed as Chief Minister of the state in 1990 after Patil was removed on the orders of Rajiv Gandhi, allegedly on health grounds.

Subsequently, in 1992, Sarekoppa Bangarappa was replaced as Chief Minister by Veerappa Moily.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa's term had been marred by several allegations of his involvement in scandals, such as that involving Classik Computers, although he was cleared of any impropriety in that case.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa's removal followed his government's failure in handling the Cauvery riots.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa left the INC after his removal and formed the Karnataka Congress Party.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa came to be seen as a "turncoat politician" who lacked ideology and principle and who moved from one party to another according to whichever he considered to be the most likely to gain power at the time.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa then, went on to form the Karnataka Vikas Party and lost in 1998 as a representative of the KVP.

Later, in December 2010 and with his political career in decline, Sarekoppa Bangarappa joined the Janata Dal.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa suffered from diabetes and died on 26 December 2011 in a Bangalore hospital due to multiple causes.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa's funeral was attended by a large number of supporters and was held with state honours at his native village.

Sarekoppa Bangarappa campaigned for Madhu and attempted to mobilise his own support to that end.

However, although Sarekoppa Bangarappa himself won handsomely from the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, he was unable to secure the victory of Madhu in Soraba.