NEW DELHI: Basavaraj Bommai, a close aide of BS
Yediyurappa
, will be the next chief minister of Karnataka.
Bommai will take oath as chief minister at 11am on July 28.
The decision to appoint Bommai as Yediyurappa's successor was taken during BJP legislature meeting held in Bengaluru. His name was proposed in the legislature party meeting in Bengaluru by outgoing CM B S Yediyurappa, who resigned from the post on Monday.
"The new leader proposal was made by senior leader B S Yediyurappa and was supported by Govind Karjol, R Ashok,
K S Eshwarappa
, B Sriramulu, S T Somashekar, Poornima Srinivas, and the newly elected legislature party leader and new Chief Minister will be Basavaraj Bommai," BJP's central observer and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said after the meeting.
It will be pro-people governance, says Karnataka CM-designate BommaiAfter his election as Karnataka CM, Bommai said it is a big responsibility considering the "given situation" and affirmed that he will work for the welfare of the poor.
"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," Bommai said.
He further said that he would strive to offer relief to people affected by Covid-19 and floods and improve the economic condition of Karnataka.
"I will work day and night to offer relief to the people in distress due to Covid or the recent floods.
I will initiate all steps to improve the economic condition of the state in the coming days," he told reporters.
Following the announcement Karnataka's caretaker CM, BS Yediyurappa said, "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."
Trusted lieutenant of YediyurappaBommai, a Yediyurappa loyalist, started his political career with Janata Dal.
He represents the Shiggaon constituency in the Haveri district and he handled home, law and parliamentary affairs ministry in Yediyurappa's cabinet.
His caste, educational qualification, administrative capacities and proximity to Yediyurappa and central leaders of the BJP is said to be the reasons for his choice for the post.
The 61-year-old, is the son of late former chief minister S R Bommai, who was in office from office 1988–1989. Bommai is from the dominant
Veerashaiva-Lingayat
community to which Yediyurappa also belongs.
The community accounts for 16-17 per cent of the state's population and is counted as a key vote-base of BJP.
Ending months of speculation over a leadership change in Karnataka, Yediyurappa had announced his resignation in an emotional speech during an event to commemorate two years of his government in the state.
Yediyurappa said, “Nobody pressured me to resign. I did it on my own so that someone else can take over as CM after the completion of two years of government. I’ll work to bring BJP back in power in the next election."
The governor had accepted Yediyurappa's resignation and dissolved the council of ministers headed by him, with immediate effect, but had asked him to continue to function as chief minister.
(With agency inputs)
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