Ramchandra Veerappa


Ramchandra Veerappa was an Indian politician who served seven times as Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for Bidar constituency, and as member of Karnataka Legislative Council from 1948–1952.
He was elected from Bidar to Lok Sabha in 1962 and 1967 as member of Congress. He joined Congress when the party split in 1969, and lost from Bidar in 1971 and 1977. Later he joined BJP and was elected to Lok Sabha from Bidar in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2004 at the age of 95. While campaigning in 2004, he said he hoped to contest five years later at the age of 100. Soon after 2004 elections, he died due to kidney troubles. He never went to school but learned to read and write in his native Kannada. He was also fluent at Deccani Urdu, Hindi, and Marathi. He said he rarely spoke in Lok Sabha because he was not much familiar with English.
He was a dalit by birth. He married thrice. His first wife died childless. He separated from his second wife decades after they had married, and picked up a third wife in his 60s. In all, he had nine children.
He died on 18 Jul 2004 at Hyderabad Hospital due to kidney dysfunction at the age of 96.

Positions held

1947-48 Member, Municipal Council, Bidar, Karnataka

1948-52 Member, Karnataka Legislative Council

1957-62 Member, Karnataka/Mysore Legislative Assembly, from Aland constituency

1962 Elected to 3rd Lok Sabha from Bidar Lok Sabha constituency

1962-67 Vice-President, Bidar District Congress Committee, Karnataka

1962-84 Member, Karnataka Congress Committee

1967 Re-elected to 4th Lok Sabha

1980-85 Member, Karnataka Legislative Assembly

1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha

1991-94 Vice-President, Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Scheduled Castes Cell

1991-96 Member, B.J.P. Working Committee, Bidar, Karnataka

1996 Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha

1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha

1998-99 Member, Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution; and its Sub-Committee-B on Department of Sugar and Edible Oils
Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Communications

1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha

1999-2000 Member, Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution

2000-2004 Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Commerce and Industry

2004 Re-elected to 14 Lok Sabha