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C. M. Ibrahim Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth14 August 1948

Age75 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceAirani, District Haveri, Karnataka, India

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilySon - C.M. Fayaz; Daughters - Shabinaa Sultana, Iffa Afsa

C. M. Ibrahim Biography

C. M. Ibrahim is an Indian politician from Karnataka with a long public life spanning several parties and ministerial posts. Known for his oratory and forf

Early life and background

Changaai Mangalote Ibrahim, popularly known as C. M. Ibrahim, was born on 14 August 1948 in Airani in Haveri district, Karnataka. He grew up in the steel town of Bhadravathi and completed his schooling at Government High School in Bhadravathi, finishing matriculation in 1967. His father is C. M. K. Ali and his mother is Bibi Sara. Ibrahim comes from a family active in public life; several of his brothers have been involved in politics and public affairs.

Ibrahim was exposed early to public speaking and electoral politics. As a teenager he was noticed by senior Congress leaders and subsequently worked with Veerendra Patil for several years. He has described himself as a practising Muslim influenced by the secular environment of a Lingayat mutt where he received part of his early education.

Career

Ibrahim’s political career began in the late 1960s and moved through multiple parties over the decades. He contested elections from the early 1970s, including a by-election in 1972 and a Lok Sabha contest in 1977. In 1978 he won a seat in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Shivajinagar on a Janata Party ticket and served as an MLA.

During the 1980s Ibrahim served in state-level ministerial roles in R. Gundu Rao’s government. His national-level ministerial career came in the mid-1990s when he held multiple portfolios in central coalition governments: Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Civil Aviation during the Deve Gowda and Gujral administrations (1996–1998).

Ibrahim’s ministerial decisions attracted attention and controversy. As Civil Aviation Minister in 1997 he declined approval for a proposed joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, citing opposition to foreign investment in aviation. During his tenure as Information and Broadcasting Minister he refused permission for a major broadcaster to operate a direct-to-home service, a decision that drew criticism and allegations of favouring competing companies. Over his career Ibrahim moved between the Indian National Congress, the Janata Parivar group, the All India Progressive Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (Secular), including a return to Congress in 2008.

His political résumé also includes a tenure as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from August 2017 to August 2022 and a period serving as Karnataka state president of the Janata Dal (Secular) beginning in April 2022. In November 2023 he was expelled from JD(S) for anti-party activities.

Public profile

Ibrahim established a reputation as a forceful public speaker. In the late 1970s and into the 1980s large crowds gathered to hear his speeches in Bengaluru. He spoke multiple languages, including Kannada, Urdu and Hindi, which broadened his reach across diverse audiences.

His career has been marked by episodes that drew public controversy. Legal cases and accusations related to hate speech and incidents of communal violence arose in the 1980s in connection with riots that followed a newspaper dispute. Other controversies attached to his ministerial decisions in the 1990s, and allegations reported in the media have been part of his public narrative; Ibrahim has denied specific allegations made in press accounts. Family matters and allegations involving relatives affected his public standing at times in the 2000s.

Personal life

Ibrahim is married and has three children: one son, C. M. Fayaz, who is active in politics, and two daughters, Shabinaa Sultana and Iffa Afsa. Shabinaa Sultana has served as a consul of the Republic of Tunisia. One of Ibrahim’s brothers, C. M. Rehman, was killed in 2013.

Latest updates

As of late 2023 Ibrahim was no longer a member of JD(S) following his expulsion by party leadership. His decades-long career includes shifts between major parties in Karnataka and roles at both the state and national levels. Observers have noted his long association with leaders such as H. D. Deve Gowda and his occasional role as a close aide and spokesperson.

Ibrahim is approximately 170 cm tall and is described as having black hair and black eyes. He is based in Bangalore and has been publicly listed at an address in Benson Town.
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Recent Work

Member of Karnataka Legislative Council

Served as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 24 August 2017 to 5 August 2022.

2017–2022
Karnataka State President, Janata Dal (Secular)

Appointed as JD(S) state president on 17 April 2022 and served until his dismissal in 2023.

2022–2023
Union Minister (Information & Broadcasting; Tourism; Civil Aviation)

Held ministerial portfolios in the United Front governments during 1996–1998.

1996–1998
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Career Highlights

  1. Elected MLA from Shivajinagar in 1978 on a Janata Party ticket
  2. Held Union ministerial portfolios for Information & Broadcasting, Tourism and Civil Aviation (1996–1998)
  3. Served as Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council (2017–2022)
  4. Served as Karnataka state president of Janata Dal (Secular) in 2022–2023
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was C. M. Ibrahim born?

14 August 1948

What is C. M. Ibrahim known for?

Politician

What is C. M. Ibrahim’s marital status?

Married