Highlights:
- At a meeting of BJP MLAs yesterday, Basavaraj Bommai, 61, was chosen as Karnataka Chief Minister.
- Bommai was sworn in as the 26th Chief Minister of Karnataka.
- Basavaraj Bommai, a North Karnataka Lingayat leader, is a staunch loyalist of Yediyurappa and has his origins in the Janata Parivar
Basavaraj Bommai has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka today, succeeding BS Yediyurappa, who stepped down on Monday. In a brief ceremony in Bengaluru, Mr Bommai was sworn in by newly-appointed Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. On the stage, Mr. Yediyurappa was present.
At a meeting of BJP MLAs yesterday, Mr Bommai, 61, was chosen for the top post in Karnataka. He met Mr. Yediyurappa today, just before the ceremony. In Bengaluru, he also offered prayers at a temple.
On his first day as Chief Minister, Mr Bommai will preside over a cabinet meeting. He’ll also go into COVID-19 and the state’s flood condition.
Mr. Bommai was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stated that he had extensive legislative and administrative expertise. He sent out a tweet, “I am confident he will build on the exceptional work done by our government in the state. Best wishes for a fruitful tenure.”
Congratulations to Shri @BSBommai Ji on taking oath as Karnataka’s CM. He brings with him rich legislative and administrative experience. I am confident he will build on the exceptional work done by our Government in the state. Best wishes for a fruitful tenure.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2021
The Prime Minister hailed BS Yediyurappa for his contributions to the party and the state in a separate tweet. “No words will ever do justice to the monumental contribution of Shri @BSYBJP Ji towards our Party and for Karnataka’s growth. For decades, he toiled hard, travelled across all parts of Karnataka and struck a chord with people. He is admired for his commitment to social welfare,” Prime Minister Modi stated.
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No words will ever do justice to the monumental contribution of Shri @BSYBJP Ji towards our Party and for Karnataka’s growth. For decades, he toiled hard, travelled across all parts of Karnataka and struck a chord with people. He is admired for his commitment to social welfare.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2021
Mr Bommai, a three-time MLA from Shiggaon in the Haveri district of central Karnataka, is a politically influential Lingayat figure like Mr Yediyurappa and was one of his closest confidants. The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community makes up 16% of Karnataka’s population of 68 million people.
In Mr Yediyurappa’s council of ministers, he was the Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs, and Legislature, which was dissolved on Monday.
Mr Bommai, the son of Janata Dal’s SR Bommai, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka in the 1980s, joined the BJP in 2008, along with 22 other Janata Dal United members. He told one of the leading news channels of the country he “never expected it” and relied only on his “hard work.”
He served twice on the Karnataka Legislative Council. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Council and worked as the political secretary to former Chief Minister JH Patel.
Mr Bommai has remained a close ally of Mr Yediyurappa since crossing over and has progressed through the ranks of the party.
He started his career as a mechanical engineer at Tata Motors in Pune, where he stayed for three years before deciding to launch his own business.
Ending weeks of speculation about his departure, Mr. Yediyurappa announced his retirement as Chief Minister on Monday, two years after his government took office.
