Ramalinga Reddy

Ramalinga Reddy was born on 12 June 1953 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, to B. Venkatareddy and Pillamma. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree before entering public life. His political career began at the grassroots level through municipal politics, where he served as a corporator before rising through the ranks of the Congress party.

Reddy entered the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1989 from the Jayanagar constituency and quickly established himself as a key Congress leader in Bengaluru. Over the years, he built a strong electoral base and became known for his focus on urban governance, infrastructure, transport, and civic administration.

During successive Congress governments, he held several important ministerial portfolios. He served as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Transport Minister, and later Home Minister in the Siddaramaiah government. His long administrative experience has made him one of the party's most prominent leaders in the state capital.

Following constituency delimitation in 2008, Reddy shifted to BTM Layout and continued his electoral success. He was re-elected multiple times from the constituency and emerged as one of the Congress party's most influential leaders in Bengaluru. He also served as Working President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

After the Congress retained power in Karnataka, Reddy was sworn in as a minister in the D. K. Shivakumar government on 3 June 2026. However, he resigned from the cabinet on 5 June 2026 after expressing dissatisfaction with his portfolio allocation, while continuing to serve as an MLA and remaining in the Congress party. He later withdrew his resignation and assumed charge of the department.