For the fourth time in a political career spanning five decades, Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Friday.

Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office to him in a simple ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan’s Glass House. Yediyurappa took oath in the name of God.

Collapse of government

Yediyurappa’s ascension follows the collapse of the 14-month-old JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy after it lost the Motion of Confidence in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Prominent among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were BJP’s national secretary-organisation BL Santosh; former Chief Minister SM Krishna; and Roshan Baig, a suspended Congress MLA. None of the Congress and JD(S) leaders including former Chief Ministers – Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy – attended the ceremony.

Congress boycott

The Congress, which was a coalition partner of the JD(S) in the State, boycotted the oath-taking ceremony. Party president Dinesh Gundurao had asked party workers not to attend the ceremony.

On hearing that Yediyurappa is to stake claim to form the next government, the JD(S) dubbed the BJP a “horse trading party” and wondered how Yediyurappa has sought to form the government without adequate numbers.

Former Chief Minister and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah tweeted: “Karnataka Assembly has become an experimental lab for @BJP4Karnataka & BJP backed governor to try unconstitutional ways to form govt. In what Article of the Constitution is the governor allowed to permit the party to form govt that doesn't have majority? It is shame!!”

He further said: “@BJP4Karnataka has the strength of 105 which is way less than the half-way mark. In no way the BJP can form the govt if the Constitution is followed. This only proves that the BJP has no belief in the democratic values.”

 

 

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