Bengaluru: Congress MLC Umashree was on Tuesday elected as the Deputy Chairperson of the Karnataka Legislative Council unanimously.

Umashree had on Monday filed her nomination for the post.

Umashree had traversed a long journey from the theatre and film industry to electoral politics.

Umashree hails from Navanakar village in Tiptur taluk of Tumakuru district. She was born in 1957 and, coming from a background of extreme poverty, could study only up to SSLC, but later earned an MSc in political science.

She was nominated to the Legislative Council in 2001 and served until 2007. She contested the 2008 Assembly election from Teradal but lost, before winning the seat in 2013 and becoming a minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet.

Umashree handled the Women and Child Development, Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens' Welfare and Kannada and Culture portfolios and was honoured in 2016 for her department's performance.

Congratulating Umashree in the Council, the Leader of the House, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, described her as a role model for women who overcame poverty and several challenges to establish herself as an actor and politician.

Yathindra said Umashree turned to theatre to earn a livelihood but eventually emerged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema. She received the Karnataka State Film Award six times, the Karnataka Nataka Akademi Award and the National Award for her performance in Gulabi Talkies, he said.

He said Umashree returned to the Legislative Council in 2023 and described her as "a very affectionate personality" who speaks to everyone with a smile and warmth.

"Although she studied only up to SSLC, at the age of 54 she obtained an MSc degree in Political Science from Karnataka State Open University. She has demonstrated that there is no age limit for acquiring education and knowledge," he said.