| Office1: | 15th Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly |
| Term Start1: | 25 May 2018 |
| Term End1: | 29 July 2019 |
| Predecessor1: | K. B. Koliwad, INC |
| Successor1: | Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, BJP |
| Term Start2: | 27 December 1994 |
| Term End2: | 24 October 1999 |
| Predecessor2: | V. S. Koujalagi |
| Successor2: | M. V. Venkatappa |
| Office3: | Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Karnataka |
| Term Start3: | 13 September 2016 |
| Term End3: | 23 May 2018 |
| Predecessor3: | U. T. Khader |
| Successor3: | Shivanand Patil, INC |
| Birth Date: | 22 November 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Addagal, Srinivaspur, Kolar, Mysore State, India |
| Occupation: | Politician |
| Party: | Indian National Congress |
| Otherparty: | All India Progressive Janata Dal[1] |
| Education: | Bachelor of Science |
| Profession: | Agriculturist |
Kandam Ramaiah Ramesh Kumar (born 22 November 1949) is an Indian politician who was the 16th speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 25 May 2018 to 29 July 2019, previously from 1994 to 1999 and member of the Indian National Congress from the state of Karnataka.
Ramesh Kumar is a six-term member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Srinivaspur assembly constituency in Kolar district. He met Devaraj Urs during student days and was encouraged to enter politics. In 1994, he became Speaker of the assembly for his first experience with that post. In June 2016, Ramesh Kumar was inducted into the Siddaramaiah led government of Karnataka as a cabinet minister. Ramesh Kumar held the Health and Family Welfare Ministry portfolio in the Government of Karnataka.[2] [3] He was elected unopposed as the speaker of 15th Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 2018 after JD(S) and Congress unity.
Ramesh Kumar is from the INC and represents Srinivaspur constituency of Kolar district, Karnataka. Ramesh Kumar started his political career in the seventies with the INC. He later joined the JP in the mid-1980s and joined the Janata Dal in the 1990s. In the early 2000s he came back into the INC. He acted in Mukta Mukta.
| SI No. | Year | Constituency | Tenure | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1978 | Srinivaspur | 1978–1983 | Indian National Congress |
| 2. | 1985 | Srinivaspur | 1985–1989 | Janata Party |
| 3. | 1994 | 1994–1999 | Janata Dal | |
| 4. | 2004 | 2004–2008 | Indian National Congress | |
| 5. | 2013 | 2013–2018 | Indian National Congress | |
| 6. | 2018 | 2018–2023 | Indian National Congress | |
| SI No. | Post | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. | 1994–1999 |
| 2. | Minister of Health and Family Welfare. | 2016–2018 |
| 3. | Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. | 2018–2019 |
Besides holding the Health and Family Welfare Ministry portfolio Ramesh Kumar in his forty-year political career has held many posts in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and the Government of Karnataka. Ramesh Kumar was the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 27 December 1994 to 24 October 1999.[6] [7] [8]
In 2019, Ramesh Kumar made an insensitive and crass humor statement in the Assembly where he compared himself with a rape survivor having to undergo repeated questioning during the discussion on the controversial audio clips that allegedly mentioned his name for taking Rs. 50 crore.[9] After facing backlash from various women legislators, activists and media, he apologized to the MLAs later, clarifying it as a media hype.[10] [11]
In 2021, Ramesh Kumar made a statement in the Karnataka assembly, “When rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy.” Criticism for Kumar's comments came from his own party members.[12]