With BJP to form govt in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa set to be CM for fourth time

Bengaluru: The exit of Congress-JD (S) coalition government in Karnataka has paved way for the BJP into power corridors of the state. Following this win its state unit president B S Yeddyurappa is likely to stake claim to form the government, if accomplished, it would be his fourth stint as Chief Minister of the State.

The 76-year-old Yeddyurappa first took over as the chief minister of Karnataka in 2007, but could not hold on to the post for mere seven days after the JD(S) withdrew support and the President's rule was imposed in the state. He again made way to the coveted post in 2008 but again owing to corruption charges failed to complete a full term.

During his second term, he held the post from May 2008 to July 2011. He had to resign following the accusations of corruption charges in illegal land deregulation notification scam.

Thereafter in 2012, he formed a new party "Karnataka Praja Paksha" but rejoined the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in which he got elected from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency.

In 2018, the BJP veteran again jostled his way to the top post in the state but could not rule the state more than a week as his party failed to garner majority.

Right after the defeat of the Congress-JD(S) government in the trust vote in the Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy proceeded to the Raj Bhavan and submitted his resignation to the Governor Vajubhai Vala.

Vala accepted Kumaraswamy's resignation and asked him to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister till the new government takes over.

The confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy got 99 votes as against 105 of the opposition leading to its defeat.

This brought an end to the 12-day high-voltage political drama which had begun in the state with the resignation of over a dozen rebel MLAs to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said BJP will stake claim to form the government in Karnataka after taking guidance from the central leadership.

The defeat marks the end of an uneasy coalition that was formed after the assembly polls on May 23, 2018, which returned a hung verdict after three main parties in the state- Congress, BJP and the JD (S) fought each other in the polls. There were differences between the coalition partners that often came to the surface but they carried on against the threat of BJP.