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Ramaiah Ashoka[2] (born 1 July 1957) is an Indian politician who served as theDeputy Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2011 to 2013.[3][4] Serving as 20th Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly since 2023, he previously served as the Deputy Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly (2014 -2018),Minister of Revenue,Minister of Home Affairs andMinister of Transport under the BJP government.[5] He has also served as theMinister of Health and Family Welfare under the coalition government of BJP and JDS.[6] He is a seven-time MLA forPadmanabhanagar Assembly Constituency (before delimitation of theUttarahalli assembly constituency).
Duringthe Emergency, he was arrested and detained in prison along with veteran leaders likeL.K. Advani at the Central Jail in Bengaluru. He was first elected to theKarnataka Legislative Assembly in the 1997 by-elections fromUttarahalli, which was the biggest state legislature constituency in India before delimitation. He was re-elected from the same constituency in the 1999 and 2004 Assembly elections with impressive margins. In the 2004 elections, he won by a margin of 84,001 votes which is the highest in anyKarnataka Assembly election.[7]
In 2008, he became the Minister of Health and family welfare in theBharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) (BJP-JD(S)) coalition government. As a minister, he implemented novel schemes and also streamlined the administration of the department.[8]
As Minister of Transport in theYeddyurappa Government from 2008 onwards, he was instrumental in modernizing the department and also using innovative hi-tech methods to automate the working of the department.[9]
WhenJagadish Shettar became Chief Minister in June 2012, Ashoka was appointed one of the two Deputy chief ministers and entrusted with the ministries of Home and Transport in theGovernment of Karnataka.[10][11][12]
Ashoka is regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the BJP inBangalore city and has steered the party to historic victories in the 2010 and 2015BBMP elections.[13][14][15]
On 26 August 2019, Ashoka was appointed the Revenue Minister in Karnataka government excluding Muzrai.[16][17]
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| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka 13 July 2012 – 8 May 2013 | Succeeded by |
