BENGALURU: Former minister Umashree was elected unanimously as deputy chairperson of the Karnataka Legislative Council on Tuesday. Members cutting across party lines welcomed her election after Leader of the House Dr Yathindra S proposed her name for the post.
Umashree, 68, is an acclaimed actress and has won two national awards, including best actress in 2008 for her performance in ‘Gulabi Talkies’. Besides bagging state awards eight times, she has also received several accolades on international forums.
She has acted in over 470 feature films and in more than 200 plays, which have seen over 7,000 shows. On the political front, she was first nominated to the Upper House in 2001 and was elected from the Terdal Assembly constituency of Bagalkot district in 2013. In the Siddaramaiah-led government, she served as minister for Kannada and Culture and Women and Child Development.
She holds a Master’s degree in political science from the Karnataka State Open University. As many as 26 members spoke on her election, describing her as a versatile actor with a heart to serve people. Several members also said she deserved a cabinet berth. Umashree said it was an emotional moment for her, and she wants to dedicate her achievement to her foster parents.