B S Yediyurappa gets the throne back

Yediyurappa during his swearing-in ceremony as Karnataka CM in Bengaluru on Friday. Pic/PTI

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP stalwart B S Yediyurappa was as sworn as chief minister for a fourth time on Friday in a sudden twist to the protracted high political drama in the state with a big challenge to manage numbers staring him in the face. Yediyurappa said he would move the motion of confidence in the assembly on July 29.

"The Karnataka Assembly session will be called on July 29 at 10 am for moving confidence motion and for the passage of the finance bill," he said. Yediyurappa alone took the oath succeeding H D Kumaraswamy three days after the Congress-JDS coalition government crumbled under the weight of a rebellion by a big chunk of its lawmakers, when it lost the motion of confidence in the state assembly.

Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 76-year-old leader in the Raj Bhavan. BJP president Amit Shah congratulated Yediyurappa after the swearing-in ceremony. "Congrats to BS Yediyurappa, newly sworn in CM of Karnataka. I am sure under his leadership and under the guidance of PM Modi, BJP will give a stable, pro-farmer and development oriented govt in the state. I assure people of Karnataka that BJP is committed to fulfil their aspirations," Shah tweeted.

Amit Shah

Proving majority in the assembly, winning by-elections to seats vacated by the resignation of rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs or their possible disqualification, and ministry formation will pose tough challenges for him, senior BJP leaders said. Yediyurappa has to play a balancing act by ensuring that those within the party are not sidelined, while also accommodating the rebel Congress-JD(S) legislators, they added.

After the disqualification of three rebel Congress MLAs, the current strength of the 225-member Assembly, excluding the Speaker is 221 and the half-way mark 111. Present party position is BJP along with one independent 106, Congress 76 (including rebel MLAs), JD(S) 37 (including rebels), one BSP, one Nominated and the Speaker, who has a casting vote in case of a tie. The Speaker is yet to decide on the resignations of 14 MLAs and disqualification petitions against them. He had on Thursday disqualified three rebel Congress MLAs.

The Congress slammed the move for government formation, saying the BJP did not have the numerical strength. Congress leader Siddarmaiah tweeted, "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!!" The JD(S) dubbed the Governor's decision to permit the BJP leader to take oath wihtout raising any questions on the numbers was "anti-democractic".

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