B. ARAVINDA SHETTY

Bengaluru: Ending much speculation on new Chief Minister, the BJPLP has elected third time MLA of Shiggaon constituency Basavaraj Bommai as the successor of outgoing Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa. 

The selection of Mr. Bommai for the CM post indicated that BJP central leadership is not taking the risk of appointing a non-lingayat leader for CM post. To placate its Lingayat vote bank and party beleaguered leader B.S.Yediyurappa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have chosen Mr. Bommai for CM post, who is a close aid of Lingayat strongman Mr. Yediyurappa. 

The Lingayat had 17 % of the population in the State, supporting BJP since one decade; because of community support, the party has expanded its base in Mumbai and Hyderabad Karnataka and was able to install the first-ever government in 2008. 

Read: Basavaraj Bommai: An accomodative leader

Party mascot leader B.S.Yediyurappa having clout over the community, party central leadership has aware of the fact that appointing non Lingayat leader for CM would inviting risk to its large vote base in Karnataka. 

Moreover, Opposition Congress has very keen to take advantage of any misadventure of BJP in choosing leadership in Karnataka. Considering all pros and cons, both RSS and BJP has decided to appoint Lingayat leader as the successor of Yediyurappa. 

Why BJP selects Bommai? 

But the selection of Mr. Bommai to CM post came as a surprise to many in BJP, especially old-timers in the party. Mr. Bommai has a newcomer to BJP, he joined the saffron party in 2008, a few months back crucial 2008 Assembly elections. His anointment to CM post also quite surprise to the critics of RSS, because RSS has never agreed to promote non RSS background leaders to the top post. Breaking its convention in Karnataka, a leader who doesn’t have any organizational background become the Chief Minister of Karnataka. It's considered as a paradigm shift in the approach of the RSS and BJP to groom young Lingayat leaders in the party. 

Read: New Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai equals HD Kumaraswamy’s record

BJP central leadership has believed that Mr. Bommai is an accommodative politician, he will take all groups in the party into confidence and provide a ‘clean’ administration for the remaining one year- nine months. 

BJP central leadership has maintained utmost secrecy about the new Chief Minister candidate till Tuesday afternoon. Nearly six to seven names are doing rounds for CM post. 

Read: New Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai comes from non-RSS background