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Regular-article-logo Thursday, 18 April 2024

Name spelling changed, Yediyurappa back for fourth term

Karnataka BJP leader is credited for bringing BJP to southern India, but twice he was unseated within 10 days of becoming CM

The Telegraph New Delhi Published 26.07.19, 02:59 PM
A RSS swayamsevak and a farmer, Yediyurappa, 76, almost single-handedly built the BJP in Karnataka and led the party's first government in southern India. But he has never served a full term.

A RSS swayamsevak and a farmer, Yediyurappa, 76, almost single-handedly built the BJP in Karnataka and led the party's first government in southern India. But he has never served a full term.

B.S. Yeddyurappa has gone back to being Yediyurappa and was sworn in as chief minister for the fourth time.

After almost a month, the political drama in Karnataka seems to have ended with the Congress-JD(S) coalition government failing the floor test in Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday.

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A RSS swayamsevak and a farmer, Yediyurappa, 76, almost single-handedly built the BJP in Karnataka and led the party's first government in southern India. But he has never served a full term. Twice, his tenure was less than 10 days.

The first term: November 12, 2007 to November 19, 2007 (7 days)

Yediyurappa created history when he became Karnataka’s first BJP leader to serve as chief minister. The Lingayat leader had to let go off his chair after seven days as H.D. Kumaraswamy walked out of the alliance that had brought him to power. It was a rotational arrangement in which Kumaraswamy became the chief minister first and Yeddyurappa served as his deputy.

The second term: May 30, 2008 – August 4, 2011 (3 years, 66 days)

Yediyurappa created history again when he formed the first BJP government in south India. The second term is his longest so far. This time he had no alliance partnership to fear but was soon embroiled in controversies for allegedly abusing office. It was accused of favouring his sons that got them land allotment in Bangalore. In August 2011, he quit in the wake of the Lokayukta report on an illegal mining scam that indicted him.

The third term: May 17, 2018 – May 23, 2018 (6 days)

The third time, the government lasted almost as briefly as the first time. Yediyurappa himself resigned after two days. In May last year, with no party receiving a clear mandate, Kumaraswamy staked claim to form the government. Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala, however, invited Yediyurappa. Kumaraswamy won the vote of confidence with the Congress-JD(S) coalition and became the chief minister.

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