Basavaraj Bommai Takes Oath As Karnataka CM In Presence Of Yediyurappa

In a brief ceremony in state capital Bengaluru, Mr Bommai was sworn-in by recently-appointed Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Succeeding BS Yediyurappa who resigned on Monday, Basavaraj Bommai took oath as Karnataka Chief Minister today. In a brief ceremony in state capital Bengaluru, Mr Bommai was sworn-in by recently-appointed Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Mr Bommai’s predecessor and mentor BS Yeddyurappa was also present during the swearing-in ceremony.

At a meeting of BJP MLAs yesterday, 61-year-old Bommai was picked for the top post in Karnataka. Ahead of swearing in, Mr Bommai met Mr Yediyurappa. He also offered prayers at a temple in Bengaluru.

On his first day as the state CM, Mr Bommai will chair a meeting of the cabinet. He will also to review COVID-19 and the flood situation in the state. A three time legislator from Shiggaon in central Karnataka’s Haveri district, Mr Bommai is powerful Lingayat leader like Yediyurappa and also his close confidante. The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community forms 16 per cent of Karnataka’s 68 million population.

In Mr Yediyurappa’s council of ministers, which was dissolved on Monday, Mr Bommai was Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature.

Mr Bommai is son of Janata Dal leader and former Karnataka CM SR Bommai. Mr Bommai joined the BJP from the Janata Dal United in 2008, along with 22 others JDU functionaries. He told NDTV that he “never expected it” and had faith only in his “hard work”.

While he has been member of Karnataka legislative council twice, he also served as political secretary to former Chief Minister JH Patel and was also Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Council.

Mr Bommai, since crossing over, has remained a close confidant of Mr Yediyurappa and has risen in the party ranks.

Mr Bommai, a mechanical engineer by training, he worked for Tata Motors in Pune for three years before turning entrepreneur.