# Kambhampati Hari Babu

Dr. Kambhampati Hari Babu (born 15 June 1953) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Governor of Odisha. He is the first individual from the bifurcated state of Andhra Pradesh and the first Telugu person to serve as the Governor of Mizoram. He served as a Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha, representing the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh. He won the 2014 Indian general election as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He previously served as the President of Bharatiya Janata Party for Andhra Pradesh from 2014 to 2018.

## Early life

Hari Babu was born in Thimmasamudram of Prakasam district. He moved to Visakhapatnam to pursue a B.Tech. in Electronics and Communication engineering at Andhra University, where he also completed his M.Tech and PhD. He later joined Andhra University as a faculty member and voluntarily retired as an Associate Professor in 1993 to actively engage in politics.

## Political career

Hari Babu began his political career during his student years when he participated in the Jai Andhra movement in support for the creation of Andhra State . As a student leader, he worked alongside other leaders such as Tenneti Viswanadham, Gouthu Latchanna, and Venkaiah Naidu. He also served as the Secretary of the Students' Union at Andhra University Engineering College from 1972 to 1973.
During 1974 to 1975, Hari Babu joined the Lok Sangharsh Samithi agitation led by Jayaprakash Narayan, protesting against the Emergency. He was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and imprisoned for six months in Visakhapatnam Central Jail and Mushirabad Jail.
In 1977, he became a member of the Andhra Pradesh State Executive Committee of the Janata Party and served as the Vice President of the Andhra Pradesh State Janata Yuva Morcha in 1978. By the early 1990s, he had aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party, serving as a member of the Andhra Pradesh State Executive Committee from 1991 to 1993 and as the General Secretary of the state unit from 1993 to 2003.
In 1999, Hari Babu was elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly from the Visakhapatnam-I Assembly constituency and became the floor leader for Bharatiya Janata Legislature Party in Andhra Pradesh in 2003. In March 2014, he was elected as the President of the state unit. He won the 2014 Indian general election from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency as a BJP candidate, defeating YSR Congress Party candidate Y. S. Vijayamma by a margin of 90,488 votes.
On 19 July 2021, Hari Babu was appointed as the Governor of Mizoram. Later, on 26 December 2024, he was appointed as the Governor of Odisha.

## Electoral history

Election results :
| Year | Office | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Result |
| 1999 | MLA | Visakhapatnam-I | Bharatiya Janata Party | 34,696 | 46.10 | Sabbam Hari | Indian National Congress | 26,285 | 34.93 | Won |
| 2004 | MLA | Visakhapatnam-I | Bharatiya Janata Party | 24,885 | | Dronamraju Satyanarayana | Indian National Congress | 41,652 | | Lost |
| 2014 | MP | Visakhapatnam | Bharatiya Janata Party | 566,832 | 48.71 | Y. S. Vijayamma | YSR Congress Party | 476,344 | 40.94 | Won |

## Development works

Hari Babu prioritized the use of his MPLADS funds on key areas such as health, education, drinking water, and skill development. He has advocated for transparency in the utilization of MPLADS funds and implementation of large, long-term projects aimed at addressing persistent issues. Notable projects include provision of toilets and furniture in government schools, drinking water facilities in areas not under the purview of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. To encourage people's participation, he organized the "One MP–One Idea" contest.