| Office 1 | Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly |
|---|---|
| Office | Minister of State for Mines and Geology, Government of Karnataka |
| Term start | 30 October 2015 |
| Term end | May 2018 |
| Year | 2023- |
| Legislature 1 | Dharwad Assembly constituency |
| Predecessor | Jagadish Shettar (Chief Minister) |
| Successor | Rajashekar Patil |
| Predecessor 1 | Amrut Desai |
| Term start 1 | 2023 |
| Term end 1 | 2026 |
| Office 3 | In-Charge minister of Dharwad District |
| Term start 3 | 17 May 2013 |
| Term end 3 | May 2018 |
| Birth date | 7 November 1968 (age 57) |
| Birth place | Gummagol, Karnataka |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Shivaleela |
| Alma mater | Dharwad, Karnataka, India. |
Vinay Kulkarni is an Indian politician from Karnataka and a member of the Indian National Congress and a convicted murderer. He has represented the Dharwad constituency in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and has served as a minister in the Government of Karnataka.[1][2]
Early life and education
Vinay Kulkarni hails from Dharwad district in Karnataka, where he developed an early interest in public life and local politics.[3] He was associated with grassroots-level activities in the region before entering mainstream politics.[4]
Political career
Kulkarni began his political career with the Indian National Congress and gradually established himself as a key figure in Dharwad district politics.[5][6]
He was elected as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the Dharwad constituency, representing the Congress party. During his tenure, he was associated with local development initiatives and constituency-level governance.[7]
Kulkarni later served as a minister in the Karnataka government, handling portfolios related to urban development and municipal administration. His role involved overseeing urban infrastructure and civic bodies across the state.[8][9]
Electoral Performance
| Year | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Opponent votes | % | Margin | Margin % | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dharwad | INC | 34,694 | 31.10 | Seema Ashok Masuti | BJP | 35,417 | 31.75 | 723 | 0.65% | LOST | ||
| 2013 | 53,453 | 49.00 | Amrut Desai | JD(S) | 35,133 | 32.20 | 18,320 | 16.79% | WON | ||||
| 2018 | 64,783 | 41.63 | BJP | 85,123 | 54.70 | 20,340 | 13.07% | LOST | |||||
| 2023 | 89,333 | 53.92 | 71,296 | 43.04 | 18,037 | 10.89 | WON | ||||||
Murder Conviction
Yogesh Gowda murder case In June 2016, Yogesh Gowda, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Dharwad Zilla Panchayat member, was murdered at a gym in Dharwad, Karnataka.[10] The case later gained significant attention and was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019 for further investigation.[11]
According to the CBI, the murder was the result of a larger conspiracy linked to political rivalry, and Vinay Kulkarni was named as one of the key accused. Investigators alleged that hired assailants carried out the attack.[12]
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in November 2020 and was granted conditional bail by the Supreme Court in August 2021.[13] However, in June 2025, the Supreme Court cancelled his bail, citing concerns about alleged attempts to influence witnesses during the trial.[14]
After several years of investigation and trial involving multiple accused and numerous witnesses, a special court in Bengaluru delivered its verdict on 15 April 2026. Kulkarni and 16 other co-accused were convicted in connection with the murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader.[15][16]
References
- ^ "Karnataka court convicts Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni in BJP leader Yogesh Gowda murder case". Hindustan Times. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Portfolios allocated to New Ministers | Department of Information and Public Relations, Govt. of Karnataka". karnatakavarthe.org. Archived 2015-11-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Vinay Kulkarni guilty in Yogesh Gowda murder case: Timeline". Prajavani. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Members of Legislative Assembly". Karnataka Legislature. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ "Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni, 16 others convicted in Yogesh Gowda murder case". The New Indian Express. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Vinay Kulkarni Profile". Political World. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ "Vinay Kulkarni guilty: IPC sections and legal implications". News18 Kannada. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni convicted of murder; sentencing on April 16". Deccan Herald. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Karnataka: 34 MLAs made chiefs of boards, Shanti Nagar MLA gets BDA". The New Indian Express. 27 January 2024. Archived 20 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
- ^ "Vinay Kulkarni guilty in Yogesh Gowda murder case: Timeline". Prajavani. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni, 16 others convicted in Yogesh Gowda murder case". The New Indian Express. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Karnataka court convicts Cong MLA Vinay Kulkarni in BJP leader Yogesh Gowda murder case". Hindustan Times. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Vinay Kulkarni guilty: IPC sections and legal implications". News18 Kannada. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Karnataka Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni convicted of murder; sentencing on April 16". Deccan Herald. 2026-04-15.
- ^ "Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni declared convict in Yogesh Gowda murder case". Kannada Prabha. 2026-04-15.
- ^ Krishnaprasad (2026-04-17). "Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni sentenced to life imprisonment for 2016 murder of BJP leader in Dharwad" (in en-IN). The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-04-18.