Basavaraj Bommai sworn in 23rd CM of Karnataka

Bengaluru: Basavaraj Bommai, 61, took oath in the name of God as 23rd Chief Minister of Karnataka at the swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday morning. He was administered oath of office by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Bommai met Yediyurappa ahead of the swearing-in and offered prayers at a temple in the city.

The appointment of Basavaraj Bommai was considered a safe choice by the BJP as he belongs to the Lingayat community same as Yediyurappa and is also close his predecessor. A three-time MLA from Shiggaon in central Karnataka's Haveri district, Bommai is a politically powerful Lingayat leader like Yediyurappa. Son of former CM SR Bommai, he is graduate in mechanical engineering and started his political career with the Janata Dal and joined the BJP in 2008. Yediyurappa, and Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G Kishan Reddy who were appointed as central observers by BJP's parliamentary board for the legislature party meet, party's national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh, State president Nalin Kumar Kateel and a host of others attended the swearing-in.

Bommai said he will try and expand the Cabinet soon. "I met central observers Dharmendra Pradhan, Kishan Reddy and General Secretary Singh, they said let's not discuss it today, once they go back to Delhi let's see," he said in response to a question by reporters on expanding the cabinet.

Asked whether he will wait for 'Ashada' month (considered inauspicious) to get over for undertaking the expansion, he said, "nothing like that, we will do it at the earliest, won't take too much time because I need a complete team to do the work as there is Covid and floods to deal with." When questioned whether he will continue with the Yediyurappa team, Bommai said all these are part of the cabinet formation exercise and "everything will be decided together".