Yeddyurappa sworn-in as K'taka CM
This is the first time that BJP is forming a government on its own in Karnataka and South India.
Taking the "betrayal" by his former coalition partner JDS which pulled him out of power barely a week after assuming office in November last as a challenge, Yediyurappa, who re-christened himself as Yeddyurappa, prompted by numerologists advice, successfully ensured the saffron surge by hitting a campaign trail soon after demitting office.
His efforts in convincing the electorate in the just-concluded assembly polls, sounded a reveille for the BJP workers and a requiem for his political rivals, who could only trail behind the leader and not overtake him.
The 66-year-old Lingayat leader not only had the onerous task of steering the party to victory, but also to quell a unified challenge thrown by his political adversaries, Congress and JDS to defeat him in his home turf Shikaripura by supporting Samajwadi Party leader and former Chief Minister S Bangarappa.
In the end, Yeddyurappa emerged with flying colours, anchoring his party to a spectacular success. The BJP cadre credits Yeddyurappa with giving the saffron party, which had been in the rank of opposition a taste of power.
Yeddyurappa, who sensed the collapse of Congress-JDS government in 2006, clinched a power-sharing pact with JDS but it collapsed after 20 months.