Bengaluru: In the political history of Karnataka, the new Chief Minister Basavaraj Somappa Bommai equalled the record of HD Kumaraswamy.  

So far, Kumaraswamy was the only chief minister whose father, HD Deve Gowda, was also chief minister of the state (1994 to 1996). Now, Basavaraj Bommai became the second chief minister whose father was also a chief minister. His father, SR Bommai, was chief minister of Karnataka (1988–1989) and Union Minister of Human Resource Development (1996–1998). 

One common factor both Kumaraswamy and Bommai share is their fathers were from Janata Dal, which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions. Both HD Deve Gowda and SR Bommai were the tallest leaders from Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, respectively. 

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

Basavaraj Bommai is a Yediyurappa loyalist, hails from North Karnataka. Bommai is a Saadar Lingayat, a sub-sect of the Lingayat community. Currently, he is Minister of State for Home Affairs. Bommai is widely acclaimed for his contributions to innumerable irrigation schemes. 

Basavaraj Bommai is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering; he started his political career with the Janata Dal (JD). He has been elected from the Shiggaon assembly constituency for three terms 2008, 2013, 2018. Before this, he was elected legislative council from the Dharwad Local Authority constituency as a Janata Dal candidate. Bommai joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008, a year after Kumaraswamy breach the power-sharing agreement with BS Yediyurappa.