Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Lingayat MLA Basavaraj Bommai as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka. The decision was taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board in today's legislature party meeting.
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G Kishan Reddy, along with BJP general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh, the observers from the BJP central leadership, attended the legislature party meeting.
"I will work to expectations of party leaders. Party leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Sha and BS Yeddyurappa have hopes on me. I will work for people of Karnataka. I will consider everyone. Will work day and night to Control Covid-19 pandamic. They did not impose any conditions on me,'' Bommai said.
Bommai is a close confidant of BS Yediyurappa and according to sources his name was first suggested by Yeddyurappa himself.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar congratulated Bommai on his selection as the new Chief Minister.
"Congratulations to Sri @BSBommai for being selected as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. Congress party and the state hopes that the focus will be back on governance now," Shivakumar tweeted.
BS Yediyurappa, on Monday, tendered his resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister, ending weeks of speculation over his continuance on the post.
Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot accepted his resignation and asked him to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister till the next CM is sworn in.
Stating that nobody pressurised him to resign, Yediyurappa said he had stepped down so that somebody else could take over as chief minister after the successful completion of two years of the BJP-led state government.
Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls, Yediyurappa assured that he shall work to bring the party back to power in the upcoming polls.
Govinda Karjola, Sriramulu and R Ashok were also selected as the new deputy chief ministers. The oath taking ceremony will be held at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on Wednesday at 11 AM.
With inputs from agency
