Basavaraj Bommai to be the next chief minister of Karnataka

Basavaraj Somappa Bommai was on Tuesday chosen as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, succeeding B.S. Yediyurappa.

A strong Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, he was elected to the post at the legislature party meeting held at a private hotel, and chaired by Central observers, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy.

Yediyurappa proposed Bommai's name and it was agreed upon by the BJP legislators.

Bommai said Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has invited him to form the government and he will take oath as Chief Minister at 11 am on July 28.

"I have informed the Governor about my election as the leader of the legislature party. He has invited me to form the government. We have discussed and decided that I will take oath tomorrow at 11 AM," Bommai said.

According to the Governor's office, the oath taking ceremony will be at the Glass House in the Raj Bhavan.

The 61-year-old leader also said that he alone will take the oath of office on Wednesday.

Born on January 28, 1960, Bommai held the portfolio of Home, Law, and Parliamentary Affairs in the Yediyurapa government. He has also served as Water Resources and Cooperation Minister. Bommai's decision to stay with the party when Yediyurappa left and launched his KJP and his ability to gain Yediyurappa's confidence after his return to the BJP are said to have worked for him.

The son of former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal leader S.R. Bommai, he had joined the BJP from the Janata Parivar in 2008, and though being a blue-eyed boy of Yediyurappa, his ability to defend the party is appreciated by all.

A graduate in Mechanical Engineering and agriculturist and industrialist by profession, he started his political career with the Janata Parivar. He was elected a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council in 1998 and 2004 from Dharwad local authorities' constituency. The son of former CM and Janata Dal leader S R Bommai, he had joined the BJP from the Janata Parivar in 2008.

After joining the BJP in February 2008, when Yediyurappa became the Chief Minister, he was elected to the Assembly from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district.

"It is a big responsibility in the given situation. I will strive to work for the welfare of the poor. It will be pro-people and pro-poor people governance," said the Karnataka CM elect.

Widely acclaimed for his knowledge of irrigation matters in the state and contributions to innumerable irrigation schemes, Bommai is also credited with implementing India's first 100 per cent piped irrigation project at Shiggaon in Haveri.

"We have unanimously elected Basavaraj S Bommai as leader of the BJP Legislative Party. I thank PM Modi for his support. Under PM's leadership, he (Bommai) will work hard," said Karnataka's caretaker CM B S Yediyurappa.

"Congratulations to B S Bommai for being selected as the next chief minister of Karnataka. Congress party and the state hopes that the focus will be back on governance now," said Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar.