{{short description|Indian politician}} {{BLP sources|date=July 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = R. Ashoka | image = File:R. Ashoka.jpg | caption = R. Ashoka in 2020 | office = 18th Leader of the Opposition<br/>Karnataka Legislative Assembly | term_start = 17 November 2023 | 1blankname = Chief Minister | 1namedata = Siddaramaiah D. K Shivakumar | 2blankname = | 2namedata = | predecessor = B. S. Bommai (Acting) | office1 = Minister of Revenue<br/>Government of Karnataka | term_start1 = 20 August 2019 | term_end1 = 13 May 2023 | 1blankname1 = Chief Minister | 1namedata1 = B. S. Yediyurappa<br/>Basavaraj Bommai | predecessor1 = R. V. Deshpande | office2 = Minister of Municipal Administration<br/>Government of Karnataka | term_start2 = 27 September 2019 | term_end2 = 10 February 2020 | 1blankname2 = Chief Minister | 1namedata2 = B. S. Yediyurappa | predecessor2 = R. Shankar | successor2 = Narayana Gowda | office3 = Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka | term_start3 = 12 July 2012 | term_end3 = 13 May 2013 | alongside3 = K. S. Eshwarappa | predecessor3 = B. S. Yediyurappa | successor3 = G. Parameshwara | office4 = Minister of Home Affairs<br/>Government of Karnataka | term_start4 = 23 September 2010 | term_end4 = 13 May 2013 | 1blankname4 = Chief Minister | 1namedata4 = B. S. Yediyurappa<br/>Sadananda Gowda<br/>Jagadish Shettar | predecessor4 = V. S. Acharya | successor4 = K. J. George | office5 = Minister of Transport<br/>Government of Karnataka | term_start5 = 30 May 2008 | term_end5 = 13 May 2013 | 1blankname5 = Chief Minister | 1namedata5 = B. S. Yediyurappa<br/>Sadananda Gowda<br/>Jagadish Shettar | predecessor5 = N. Chaluvaraya Swamy | successor5 = Ramalinga Reddy | office6 = Minister of Health & Family Welfare<br/>Government of Karnataka | term_start6 = 18 February 2006 | term_end6 = 8 October 2007 | 1blankname6 = Chief Minister | 1namedata6 = H. D. Kumaraswamy | predecessor6 = N. Chaluvaraya Swamy | successor6 = B. Sriramulu | office7 = Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly | term_start7 = May 2008 | predecessor7 = ''Seat established'' | successor7 = | constituency7 = Padmanabhanagar | term_start8 = 1998 | term_end8 = 2008 | predecessor8 = M. Srinivas | successor8 = ''Seat disestablished'' | constituency8 = Uttarahalli | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1957|07|01}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=S |first1=Rajashekara |title=Revenue Minister R Ashoka tests negative, celebrates birthday in Chikkamagaluru |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/revenue-minister-r-ashoka-tests-negative-celebrates-birthday-in-chikkamagaluru/articleshow/76743430.cms |accessdate=9 August 2020 |work=Bangalore Mirror |date=2 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref> | birth_place = Jalahalli, Mysore State, India | party = Bharatiya Janata Party | education = Bachelor of Science | spouse = {{marriage|Pramilarani|1987}} | website = {{URL|https://rashoka.in}} }}
'''Ramaiah Ashoka'''<ref>{{Citation|title=BJP MLA KS Eshwarappa takes oath as minister – NEWS9|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRDyAU-egzo|language=en|access-date=2021-07-30}}</ref> (born 1 July 1957) is an Indian politician who served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2011 to 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/2-deputy-cms-for-karnataka/article3623735.ece|title=2 Deputy CMs for Karnataka|date=10 July 2012|accessdate=7 January 2020|via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/this-former-dy-cm-is-a-step-closer-to-the-top-job/articleshow/63999047.cms?from=mdr|title=This former dy CM is a step closer to the top job|first=K. R.|last=Balasubramanyam|date=2 May 2018|accessdate=7 January 2020|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref> Serving as 18th 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 and Minister of Transport under the BJP government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-11-21 |title=Ashoka: My election as LoP result of consensus |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/r-ashoka-leader-of-opposition-karnataka-assembly/articleshow/105370035.cms |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> He has also served as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare under the coalition government of BJP and JDS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=A |first=Naina J. |title=Karnataka LoP R Ashoka says Congress scared of losing Lok Sabha polls |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/karnataka-lop-r-ashoka-says-congress-scared-of-losing-lok-sabha-polls-2838951 |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref> He is a seven-time MLA for Padmanabhanagar Assembly Constituency (before delimitation of the Uttarahalli assembly constituency).
==Early political career== During the Emergency, he was arrested and detained in prison along with veteran leaders like L.K. Advani at the Central Jail in Bengaluru. He was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in the 1997 by-elections from Uttarahalli, 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 any Karnataka Assembly election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/assembly-elections-2018/karnataka/trivia-19/|title=Karnataka Elections 2018: Election Trivia|website=News18|accessdate=7 January 2020}}</ref>
==Positions held== In 2008, he became the Minister of Health and family welfare in the Bharatiya 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.<ref name=ra>{{cite news|title=State keen to maintain record, says Ashok|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/08/stories/2007010815160400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605175358/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/08/stories/2007010815160400.htm|url-status=dead|newspaper=The Hindu|date=2007-01-08|archive-date=2008-06-05}}</ref>
As Minister of Transport in the Yeddyurappa 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.<ref name=RA2>{{cite news|title=KSRTC to add 3,000 new buses this year|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article2115741.ece|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>
When Jagadish 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 the Government of Karnataka.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jagdish Shettar will have 2 deputies as he takes oath as Karnataka CM today|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/south/story/jagdish-shettar-deputies-oath-karnataka-cm-sadananda-gowda-109051-2012-07-10|access-date=26 June 2016|publisher=India Today|date=11 July 2012}}</ref><ref name=ra2>{{cite web|title=Cabinet Reshuffle: Ashoka gets Home, Palemar gets Muzrai|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=86218|publisher=Daijiworld}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Rise & Rise Of Ashoka|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/TOINEW/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG%2F2010%2F09%2F26&GZ=T&ViewMode=HTML&EntityId=Ar00600&AppName=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815164824/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/TOINEW/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG%2F2010%2F09%2F26&GZ=T&ViewMode=HTML&EntityId=Ar00600&AppName=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2016|work=The Times of India}}</ref>
Ashoka is regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the BJP in Bangalore city and has steered the party to historic victories in the 2010 and 2015 BBMP elections.<ref>{{cite news|title=BJP Wins Bangalore Municipal Elections For The First Time|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-bjp-wins-bangalore-municipal-elections-for-the-first-time-1367595|accessdate=26 June 2016|publisher=DNA India|date=5 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=For BBMP Polls, BJP Puts R Ashok At Helm|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/For-BBMP-Polls-BJP-Puts-R-Ashok-At-Helm/2015/08/02/article2953204.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803092650/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/For-BBMP-Polls-BJP-Puts-R-Ashok-At-Helm/2015/08/02/article2953204.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 August 2015|accessdate=26 June 2016|publisher=The New Indian Express|date=2 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=BBMP results: BJP sweeps Bangalore civic body's poll|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/siddaramaiah-owns-responsibility-for-losing-bengaluru-polls-to-bjp-290147-2015-08-25|access-date=26 June 2016|publisher=India Today|date=25 August 2015}}</ref>
On 26 August 2019, Ashoka was appointed the Revenue Minister in Karnataka government excluding Muzrai.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bharadwaj |first1=K. V. Aditya |title=In a first, Karnataka to have 3 Deputy Chief Ministers |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/in-a-first-karnataka-to-have-3-deputy-chief-ministers-and-complete-list-of-council-of-ministers/article29261682.ece |accessdate=27 August 2019 |work=The Hindu |date=26 August 2019 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Karnataka CM Yediyurappa announces names of three Deputy Chief Ministers |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/karnataka-cm-yediyurappa-announces-names-three-deputy-chief-ministers-107871 |accessdate=27 August 2019 |work=www.thenewsminute.com |date=26 August 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Ashokavana, Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore (2026) 01.jpg|thumb|left|Ashokavana, a park named after R. Ashoka in Padmanabhanagar, Bangalore (2026) ]] {{clear}}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{Deputy Chief Ministers of Karnataka}} {{Bharatiya Janata Party}} {{s-start}} {{S-off}} {{succession box| before=B. S. Yeddyurappa | title=Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka| years= 13 July 2012 – 8 May 2013 | after= G. Parameshwara }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashok, R.}} Category:1957 births Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Karnataka Category:Karnataka MLAs 1994–1999 Category:Karnataka MLAs 1999–2004 Category:Karnataka MLAs 2004–2007 Category:Karnataka MLAs 2008–2013 Category:Karnataka MLAs 2013–2018 Category:Karnataka MLAs 2023–2028 Category:State cabinet ministers of Karnataka Category:Deputy chief ministers of Karnataka Category:Living people Category:Karnataka MLAs 2018–2023