JOIN USChamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda, who took oath as minister, is a prominent politician from Mysuru district.
He defeated the then chief minister Siddaramaiah by 36,042 votes in the recent Assembly election.
Devegowda's hometown Gungaralu Chatra and Siddaramaiah's hometown Siddaramanahundi now falls under the Varuna Assembly segment. The duo was once close associates.
Devegowda entered politics in 1978 by supporting the then Congress candidate Kempegowda in the Assembly polls and played a prominent role in Siddaramaiah's victory in the 1983 Assembly election.
Devegowda was elected as a Zilla Panchayat (ZP) member from Hunsuru ZP Constituency and also served as ZP president.
He also contested the Lok Sabha elections but lost.
Devegowda, who had served as cooperation minister, joined the BJP in 2007 but returned to the JD(S) and won the 2013 polls from Chamundeshwari.