[4][5] Singh began his career in politics as an Independent Corporator in the Kalaburagi district City Municipal Council by contesting against his own brother.

[citation needed] He was brought up under the influence of Bhim Sena founder B. Shyam Sunder who was a legislator to Hyderabad State and served as its Deputy speaker.

He was the Secretary of Hyderabad Karnataka Youth League,[citation needed] and his election agent in 1957, and issued a pamphlet in Urdu to vote in his favour.

Known for his adaptability and friendly nature and his close political ties with H. D. Deve Gowda, Dharam Singh was the unanimous choice of both parties to head the government.

He was criticised for not being assertive in the sense of coming from minority community and further allowing the JD(S) supremo to join hands, which was their junior partner in coalition to call the shots in the government.

[13] However, Dharam Singh had to bite dust in 2014 Lok Sabha election when he lost to Bhagwant Khuba by over a lakh votes, which ended his political career.

[14] The Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Nitte Santosh Hegde in 2008 has found Dharam Singh and 11 other officials guilty of causing a loss to the State exchequer owing to irregularities in the mining sector.