S. R. Bommai
- October 10, 2007
- 83 years
About S. R. Bommai
S. R. Bommai, 83, Indian politician.
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60 Seconds Life Story
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S. R. Bommai
d. 2007
60 Seconds: S. R. Bommai's Life Story
A documentary short on the career of Indian politician S. R. Bommai and his landmark Supreme Court case.
Transcript
S. R. Bommai was a transformative figure in Indian politics who served as the 4th Chief Minister of Karnataka. Born in 1924, he participated in the Quit India movement and later championed the unification of Karnataka. A lawyer by profession, Bommai became a pivotal leader within the Janata Party during the 1980s. Following the 1989 dismissal of his government, he took his case to the Supreme Court. The resulting landmark judgment, S. R. Bommai versus Union of India, set essential legal restrictions on the central government’s power to dismiss state administrations. He later served as the Union Minister for Human Resource Development from 1996 to 1998. Passing away in 2007, he left a enduring political legacy, eventually followed into the Chief Minister's office by his son, Basavaraj Bommai.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Flickr (No restrictions) · Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) · World Digital Library (EdictGov-India) · Library of Congress, National Photo Company Collection[1] (Public domain) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Full Biography
|Somappa Rayappa Bommai (6 June 1924 – 10 October 2007) was an Indian politician who was the 4th Chief Minister of Karnataka. He was also the Human Resource Development Minister in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998. He is widely remembered as the champion for the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, S. R. Bommai v. Union of India.
His son Basavaraj Bommai became the Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2021 making them only the second father and son duo after H. D. Devegowda and H. D. Kumaraswamy to become the Chief Ministers of Karnataka
Early life and political career
S. R. Bommai was born on 6 June 1924 in a Sadar Lingayat family at Karadagi village of Shiggaon taluk of the then undivided Dharwad District. He took part in the Quit India movement of 1942. He also played an active role in the unification (Ekikarana in Kannada) of Karnataka which had been spread among Mysore kingdom, Bombay Presidency, Hyderabad, and Madras Presidency, during the British rule.
A lawyer by profession, he was elected to the Karnataka Legislative assembly many times from the Hubballi rural constituency and was also a member of the Karnataka Legislative council from 1972 to 1978.
He along with Ramakrishna Hegde, J. H. Patel and H. D. Deve Gowda was instrumental in the Janata Party forming a government in Karnataka for the first time in 1983. He was given the portfolio of Industries in the Ramakrishna Hegde government. After Hegde quit on moral grounds, Bommai took charge as Chief Minister on 13 August 1988 and his government was dismissed by the then Governor, P. Venkatasubbaiah, on 21 April 1989 on the grounds that his government had lost its majority following large-scale defections engineered by several Janata Party leaders. Bommai had sought some time from the Governor to prove his majority on the floor of the Legislature and he was denied this. He challenged this order in the Supreme Court.
S. R. Bommai was the president of Karnataka state unit until the state unit got merged with Janata Dal in 1993 before 1994 Karnataka Assembly elections.
S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case
S. R. Bommai v. Union of India was a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, where the Court discussed at length, the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India and related issues. The apex court spelt out restrictions on the centre's power to dismiss a state government under Article 356. This case had huge impact on Centre-State Relations. Instances of imposition of President's rule have reduced after this judgement.
Bommai was National president of the Janata Dal from 1990 to 1996. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha, two times in 1992 and 1998. In 1996, he became the Union minister for Human resource development in the United Front government and served with both the prime ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral. In 1999, after the Janata Dal split, he sided with the JD(U) faction and later formed the All India Progressive Janata Dal in 2002, as a platform for merger of different factions of Janata Dal. However, after large scale defections, the weakened party was finally merged with JD(U).
He died on 10 October 2007, aged 84. His one son, M.S. Bommai is an industrialist in Bengaluru, and the other Basavaraj Bommai inherited his political legacy and went on to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 28 July 2021.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "As Basavaraj Bommai rises, how his father changed the course of Indian politics"hindustantimes.com
- "What is the S.R. Bommai case, and why is it quoted often?"thehindu.com
- 27326879 1 new party s r bommai new outfitarticles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- 27293850 1 bommai new outfit jd factionsarticles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- 27968920 1 s r bommai janata parivar union ministerarticles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Reported coverage of S. R. Bommai; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._R._Bommai
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from S. R. Bommai's archived record and the sources above.
1.S. R. Bommai was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council during which years?
- A.1960 to 1965
- B.1980 to 1985
- C.1972 to 1978correct
- D.1990 to 1994
S. R. Bommai was a member of the Karnataka Legislative council from 1972 to 1978.
Source: Early life and political career section
2.Which prime ministers did S. R. Bommai serve under during his time as a Union minister?
- A.Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh
- B.P. V. Narasimha Rao and Chandra Shekhar
- C.Rajiv Gandhi and V. P. Singh
- D.H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujralcorrect
S. R. Bommai served as a Union minister under prime ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and I. K. Gujral.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
3.What was S. R. Bommai's role in the 1983 Janata Party government?
- A.Deputy Chief Minister
- B.Speaker of the Assembly
- C.Minister of Finance
- D.Minister of Industriescorrect
S. R. Bommai was given the portfolio of Industries in the Ramakrishna Hegde government.
Source: Early life and political career section
4.On what date did S. R. Bommai die?
- A.28 July 2021
- B.10 October 2007correct
- C.6 June 1924
- D.21 April 1989
S. R. Bommai died on 10 October 2007.
Source: Biography introduction
5.What is the profession of S. R. Bommai's son M. S. Bommai?
- A.Lawyer
- B.Politician
- C.Industrialistcorrect
- D.Journalist
M. S. Bommai is an industrialist in Bengaluru.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
6.S. R. Bommai served as the National president of which party from 1990 to 1996?
- A.JD(U)
- B.Janata Party
- C.All India Progressive Janata Dal
- D.Janata Dalcorrect
S. R. Bommai was National president of the Janata Dal from 1990 to 1996.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
7.What was the specific cultural or political cause S. R. Bommai played an active role in during British rule?
- A.Literacy movement
- B.Industrialization of Mysore
- C.Unification of Karnatakacorrect
- D.Abolition of Sati
S. R. Bommai played an active role in the unification of Karnataka during the British rule.
Source: Early life and political career section
8.What was the birth date of S. R. Bommai?
- A.13 August 1988
- B.28 July 2021
- C.6 June 1924correct
- D.10 October 2007
S. R. Bommai was born on 6 June 1924 in Karadagi village.
Source: Early life and political career section
9.In which political movement did S. R. Bommai participate in 1942?
- A.The Salt March
- B.The Non-Cooperation movement
- C.The Swadeshi movement
- D.The Quit India movementcorrect
S. R. Bommai took part in the Quit India movement of 1942.
Source: Early life and political career section
10.S. R. Bommai held which professional qualification?
- A.Lawyercorrect
- B.Teacher
- C.Journalist
- D.Doctor
S. R. Bommai was a lawyer by profession.
Source: Early life and political career section
11.How many times was S. R. Bommai elected to the Rajya Sabha?
- A.Two timescorrect
- B.Four times
- C.Three times
- D.One time
S. R. Bommai was elected to the Rajya Sabha two times in 1992 and 1998.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
12.Who was the Governor who dismissed the government of S. R. Bommai in 1989?
- A.J. H. Patel
- B.H. D. Deve Gowda
- C.P. Venkatasubbaiahcorrect
- D.Ramakrishna Hegde
The government of S. R. Bommai was dismissed by the then Governor P. Venkatasubbaiah on 21 April 1989.
Source: Early life and political career section
13.What ministry did S. R. Bommai hold in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998?
- A.Human Resource Developmentcorrect
- B.Finance
- C.External Affairs
- D.Home Affairs
S. R. Bommai served as the Human Resource Development Minister in the United Front government from 1996 to 1998.
Source: Biography introduction
14.Which family of Karnataka politics is the only other father and son duo besides the Bommais to both serve as Chief Minister?
- A.B. S. Yediyurappa and B. Y. Vijayendra
- B.S. Siddaramaiah and Yathindra Siddaramaiah
- C.Veerendra Patil and B. S. Patil
- D.H. D. Devegowda and H. D. Kumaraswamycorrect
Basavaraj Bommai and S. R. Bommai are the second father and son duo to become Chief Ministers after H. D. Devegowda and H. D. Kumaraswamy.
Source: Biography introduction
15.What was the primary focus of the Supreme Court judgment S. R. Bommai v. Union of India?
- A.Provisions of Article 356correct
- B.Environmental protection
- C.State border disputes
- D.Taxation laws
The Supreme Court discussed at length the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India in the landmark judgment.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
16.What political party did S. R. Bommai form in 2002?
- A.Janata Party
- B.All India Progressive Janata Dalcorrect
- C.Janata Dal
- D.Karnataka Progressive Front
S. R. Bommai formed the All India Progressive Janata Dal in 2002 as a platform for merger of different factions.
Source: S. R. Bommai v. Union of India case section
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