After being kept on tenterhooks for 34 days, the first-ever BJP-led government came to power in Karnataka when Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister on Monday, bringing to an end the President?s rule.
Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to Yeddyurappa at a function witnessed by a galaxy of BJP leaders, and party activists. Yeddyurappa along with Govind M Karajol, V S Acharya, Jagadish Shettar and R Ashok (all from BJP) were sworn in. Though JD (S) leaders led by HD Kumaraswamy were present, the party chose to stay away from joining the government, for now.
Soon after becoming the 25th CM, Yeddyurappa held a cabinet meeting and said he would seek a floor test on November 23. The CM said he was confident that the coalition would last the rest of the tenure 19 months. In early October, the Kumaraswamy-led coalition resigned following fracas over power transfer and the state was put under the President?s rule.
In the 225-member assembly, BJP has 79 members while JD (S) has 58 members.