Basavaraj Bommai: Man with roots in Janata parivar

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.

The new Bommai is the son of SR Bommai who was the 11th Chief Minister of the state as a Janata Parivar figure. Karnataka also has another father-son duo to have become chief ministers, with former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy having served as chief minister.

The 61 year-old leader BS Bommai, was a member of the outgoing Yediyurappa cabinet as Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature. The cabinet was dissolved on Monday with the resignation of Yediyurappa. He had also served as 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 are said to have stood him good stead in the state's equation of factors to be raised to chief ministership.

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 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.

Bommai quit the Janata Dal (United) and joined the BJP in February 2008. Later that year, he was elected as MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district in the assembly elections. He retained the seat in the 2013 and 2018 assembly elections.

Bommai had served as Minister for Water resources and Cooperation in the previous BJP government.

Bommai was seen as the right-hand man of Yediyurappa and used to accompany the chief minister at meetings, events and press briefings. apart from such political statue, he was also widely regarded for his knowledge about irrigation projects in the state.

Married to Chennamma, he has a son and a daughter.

(With inputs from PTI)