Yeddiyurappa sworn-in as Karnataka Chief Minister
Monday, November 12, 2007

Bangalore, Nov 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B.S. Yeddiyurappa was today sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

BJP legislators Jagadish Shettar, V S Acharya, Govinda Karajol and R Ashok were also sworn-in as ministers.

Ministers belonging to the JD-S -- 18 in all, including Deputy Chief Minister -- will take oath at one go after the Government wins a vote of confidence on November 15.

The Ministry will be expanded after the combine proves its majority on the floor of the assembly.

The installation of the new government puts an end to more than a month-long suspense over the future of governance in the state.

President's rule was imposed in the State on October 9 after the BJP withdrew support from its coalition with the JD (S) due to differences over transfer of Chief Ministership as per the power-sharing agreement.

Three weeks after the bitter public spat, both parties formed a coalition again under Yeddiyurappa's leadership.

Yeddiyurappa represents Shikaripur in the Karnataka legislative assembly.

Yeddiyurappa's stint in public life began when he was appointed as the secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Shikaripur unit in 1970.

In 1980, he was appointed as the President of the Shikaripur taluk unit of the BJP and he later went on to become the President of BJP's Shimoga district unit in 1985.

In 1988, he became the President of the BJP unit of Karnataka.

He was first elected to the lower house of Karnataka Legislature in 1983 and has since represented the Shikaripur constituency five times. He has been a member of the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Legislative Assemblies (lower house) of Karnataka. In the Tenth Assembly, he was chosen as Leader of Opposition.

In 1999, he lost the elections but was nominated by the BJP to become a member of the legislative council (upper house) of Karnataka.

Yeddiyurappa rose to prominence when he helped JD-S party's H. D. Kumaraswamy to bring down the coalition government of Dharam Singh. Kumaraswamy formed the government with the help of the BJP in Karnataka headed by Yeddiyurappa. (ANI)
- AY