Congress victory dashes Yediyurappa loyalist Bommai's dream of return

Considered a close confidante and loyalist of former chief minister and one of the tallest Lingayat leaders in Karnataka -- BS Yediyurappa, the outgoing chief minister of the state Basavaraj Bommai had sprung into spotlight in July 2021.

Bommai who succeeded Yediyurappa to become the fourth Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister, also hails from the state's influential and dominant Lingayat community, which constitutes 17 per cent of the state's population.

After serving as water resource minister in the first BJP government in Karnataka, Bommai went on to hold important portfolios including home affairs before he was appointed as the chief minister when Yediyurappa stepped down to make way for a younger leadership ahead of the 2023 assembly polls.

As results for the assembly polls were declared on Saturday, Bommai had to go from confidently maintaining that BJP will "have an absolute majority" to eight hours later assuming responsibility for the defeat of his party.

There are critics who say the Bommai's government was not able to counter the Congress narrative to paint his administration as corrupt, a factor that helped the Congress surge in the May 10 assembly elections.

When he assumed charge, Bommai had in fact scripted history, becoming the second father-son duo to have led the state on different occasions, as he started a new innings at the top.

Previously, Janata Dal-Secular supremo HD Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy have been CMs of the southern state during different periods.

Bommai's father SR Bommai was a Janata Parivar stalwart and had served as the 11th chief minister of Karnataka in the late 1980s.

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.

Bommai is from the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community to which Yediyurappa also belongs to.

The community accounts for 16-17 per cent of the state's population and is counted as a key vote-base of the saffron party.

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 former CM JH Patel and as deputy Leader of the Opposition in the council.

Bommai quit Janata Dal-United and joined the BJP in February 2008 and in the assembly elections held later that year, was elected as MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri.

He then went on to retain the seat in the 2013 and 2018 assembly polls.

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

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

He was in-charge of home affairs when he was given the responsibility of chief minister in July 2021, when Yediyurappa stepped down citing age factor.

The outgoing CM has served as chairman of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Dharwad, and Karnataka Volleyball Association, Dharwad district.

As results were being declared for the May 10 polls, Bommai had won his assembly seat for the fourth consecutive time securing over 50 per cent votes in the Shiggaon constituency where he stood this time.