As a political activist and organizer

1987 AnanthKumar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was given the responsibilities of state secretary BJP, State President of BJP yuva morcha followed by general secretary & National Secretary of the BJP.
1989 to 1994, saw the revival of the party’s fortunes under the leadership of Shri Yeddyurappa & AnanthKumar with a dedicated team of party workers. From a humble count of 2 seats & 2% of the votes polled in 1989, to an impressive tally of 36 seats & a vote share of 28%, in 1994 was a testimony to the team in Karnataka BJP. It was after this that Ananth became national secretary of the BJP in 1995.

1996 was a turning point in his political career. His first stint in any electoral battle was contesting from the prestigious Bangalore south constituency. He not only won the Lok Sabha elections, but also won the hearts of the people of Bangalore.

He got reelected in 1998, with a thumping margin of 1,80,000 votes, this showed the enhanced confidence, the city of Bangalore reposed on him.
He became the youngest minister in Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet in 1998. Ananth became the Civil Aviation minister.
This was followed by his stints in various other ministries like Tourism, Sports, Youth Affairs & Culture, Urban development & poverty alleviation.
The above experience enhanced his contributions at the national level & every ministry he headed, saw a record growth in profitability & public reach.
His contributions were marked by four sterling qualities: Quick grasp, Persistence, Hard work & pro-people decisions.