Rama Gundu Rao (27 September 1937 – 22 August 1993) was the Chief Minister of Karnataka state from 1980 to 1983.

Rao was born in a Kannada Hindu family[4] in Kushalanagara in the erstwhile Coorg Province (now in Kodagu district of Karnataka) of British India on 8 April 1937.

[6] Rao began his political career as Town Municipality President of Kushalanagar, a position in which he served for ten years.

He served as minister in the government of D. Devaraj Urs and also as a Leader of Opposition for a brief period.

[6] The Gokak agitation seeking supremacy for Kannada in the administration and education of Karnataka as well as the police firing on farmers at Nargund and Navalgund were the low points during his tenure as Chief minister.