U.T. Khader
| Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
The five-time MLA from Mangaluru (erstwhile Ullal), U.T. Khader, 56, is all set to begin his third stint as the Cabinet Minister in the State government. His return as the Minister is expected to help push development projects of the coastal belt, especially of Ullal.
Born on October 12, 1969, Mr. Khader resigned as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, before taking oath as the Minister in the Cabinet led by D.K. Shivakumar. He was the 17th Speaker of the Assembly and assumed office on May 24, 2023. Mr. Khader was the first Muslim leader to hold the position of the Speaker.
In his first stint, Mr. Khader served as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and the Food and Civil Supplies in the Siddaramaiah-led government during 2013-18.
Later, in the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government led by H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2018-19, Mr. Khader held the portfolios of Housing and Urban Development.
Bridge projects
With the return of Mr. Khader as Minister, his two more “visionary bridge projects”- between Kotepura (in Ullal) and Bolar, which costs about ₹200 crore, and between Bolar and from Sajipanadu and Thumbe on the National Highway 75, estimated at ₹60 crore, and both across the Netravathi- are expected to get a fillip.
Earlier, Mr. Khader made a visionary vented dam-cum-bridge project (costs about ₹174 crore) across the Netravathi connecting Adyar on the NH 75 and Harekala a reality.
Political career
A law graduate of SDM Law College in Mangaluru, Mr. Khader started his political career as a district functionary of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in the 1990s and gradually rose in politics under the tutelage of his father (late) U.T. Fareed who represented Ullal in the Assembly in 1972, 1978, 1999 and 2004, from the Congress.
Mr. Khader made his maiden entry into the Assembly by winning the 2007 Mangaluru bypoll following the death of his father. He won again from Mangaluru in 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2023 Assembly elections.
Mr. Khader was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly during 2022-23.
Lone Congress MLA
Said to be in the “good books” of Congress high command, Mr. Khader was the saving grace for the party in 2018 elections in undivided Dakshina Kannada which has 13 Assembly constituencies. He was the only Congress candidate who got elected from Mangaluru then, while the rest of seats were bagged by the BJP.
Even in the last Assembly polls in 2023, Mr. Khader retained his seat and was among two Congress MLAs who got elected, with the other one being Ashok Kumar Rai from Puttur.
Published – June 03, 2026 09:24 pm IST
