Basavaraj Bommai to be the new Chief Minister of Karnataka

Basavaraj Bommai (third from left) after he was elected as Chief Minister of Karnataka, along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (right), B.S. Yediyurappa and State BJP president Naleen Kumar Kateel.

In a legislative party meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that met today at the Capitol Hotel in Bengaluru, Basavaraj Bommai was unanimously chosen as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. His name was proposed by B.S. Yediyurappa, who resigned as Chief Minister yesterday, and the legislators concurred with the choice. The three-time MLA from Shiggaon in Haveri district had served as the Law Minister and Home Minister in Yediyurappa’s Cabinet and is considered to be his close associate. Bommai emerged as the dark horse, pipping front runners such as Murugesh Nirani and C.T. Ravi.

As he emerged from the hotel on his way to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Bommai spoke to mediapersons briefly and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Yediyurappa. “My government will be pro-farmer and pro-poor. Our immediate challenge is to deal with the flood and COVID situation in the State and to improve the economic condition of the State” said Bommai. On the role of Yediyurappa in his government, Bommai said, “He is our leader, he will be our leader always and mentor our party in Karnataka.”

The son of former Chief Minister S.R. Bommai, Basavaraj Bommai is a Lingayat like Yediyurappa. He was a member of the Legislative Council between 1998 and 2008 when he was a member of the Janata Dal (United). He joined the BJP in 2008. Considering Bommai’s closeness to Yediyurappa, there is a feeling among political analysts that Yediyurappa will continue to play an important role behind the scenes. Informed sources say there will be three deputy chief ministers in Bommai’s Ministry to represent Vokkaligas, Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes.