Basavaraj Bommai: Lingayat leader with origins in Janata Parivar

Karnataka Chief Minister-designate Basavaraj Somappa Bommai, a Yediyurappa loyalist, who has his origins in the Janata Parivar, will script history in being part of a father-son duo to have led the state on different occasions. Previously JDS Supremo H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy have been CMs during different periods.

Bengaluru:Karnataka Chief Minister-designate Basavaraj Somappa Bommai, a Yediyurappa loyalist, who has his origins in the Janata Parivar, will script history in being part of a father-son duo to have led the state on different occasions. Previously JDS Supremo H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy have been CMs during different periods. Bommai's father SR Bommai was a Janata Parivar stalwart and had served as the 11th Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The 61-year-old leader was the Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in Yediyurappa's council of ministers that was dissolved on Monday and was also the Minister in charge of Haveri and Udupi Districts. Born on January 28, 1960, in Hubballi, Basavaraj Bommai is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. He worked in Tata Motors, Pune for three years and then became an industrial entrepreneur. 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.

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 the BJP. He started his political career with the Janata Dal, and was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, twice (in 1997 and 2003) from Dharwad local authorities constituency. He had also served as Political Secretary to Chief Minister J H Patel and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the council.

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Bommai quit the Janata Dal (United) and joined the BJP in February 2008 and in the assembly elections held later that year, was elected as MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district. He then went on to retain the seat in the 2013 and 2018 assembly polls. Married to Chennamma, he has a son and a daughter. Bommai had served as Minister for Water Resources and Cooperation in the previous BJP government.

Widely appreciated for his knowledge regarding irrigation projects in the state, Bommai was like Yediyurappa's shadow in the just-dissolved BJP government, as he used to follow the 78-year-old Chief Minister at meetings, events and press briefings and assist him. Bommai, who was in charge of Home Affairs at the beginning of the term, was subsequently given Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature as additional portfolios during the cabinet reshuffle a few months ago. The new leader of the BJP legislature party enjoys reading, writing, golf and cricket and has served as Chairman of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Dharwad, and Karnataka Volleyball Association, Dharwad District. He is also the founder of Arunodaya Co-operative Society, a member of Jayanagar Housing Society and the German Chamber of Commerce.

(PTI)