Karntaka , May 17 : BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on Thursday morning, hours after the Supreme Court rejected a petition seeking a stay on the ceremony. (Live updates)
This is the third time BSY, as he is popularly known, has taken over as the chief minister. In 2007, he ruled for seven days before BJP’s then coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular) refused to support his government over disagreement on sharing of ministries and withdrew support. In 2008, he again took over as the chief minister but lasted only 39 months before he was arrested on corruption charges.
Sporting a green shawl, that symbolises the farmers’ movement, Yeddyurappa took oath in the name of God and farmers amid chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ by jubilant cadres. Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath in the presence of senior state BJP leaders and Union ministers, even as JD(S) and Congress leaders protested outside. Heavy police security was put in place to ensure that no untoward incident occurs on the occasion.
Yeddyurappa (75) takes over as the chief minister after two days of uncertainty since the votes were counted on May 15, when the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state with 104 seats but fell short of reaching the half-way mark of 112 in the assembly. The Congress and the JD(S) joined hands in the hours that followed, and approached the governor with a request to let them form the next government in the state with HD Kumaraswamy as the chief minister. They also submitted a letter with the signatures of 116 legislators to Vala.
