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BJP celebrates its southern debut Vajpayee is the role model for Yeddyurappa From Deepak Kumar Rath in Bangalore BJP will expand party base in other southern states ?L.K. Advani Opposition leader Shri L.K.Advani, who blessed Shri Yeddyurappa on the occasion, said that a BJP government in Karnataka has come with an opportunity to expand the party?s base in other southern states. He reminded that it is the BJP that emerged as the single-largest party in both parliamentary and assembly elections in the state. JD(S) took the initiative to form government ?Rajnath Singh After attending the swearing-in ceremony of Shri Yeddyurappa, BJP chief Shri Rajnath Singh, addressing the mediapersons in Bangalore, asserted that the BJP-JD(S) coalition will complete its full term and no question should be raised on the stability of the government. ?We were not in a hurry to form the government. Rather it was the JD(S) that decided to support us?, said Shri Rajnath Singh. He added that the BJP has full trust on the JD(S) and they have given unconditional support to the BJP. On principle, the BJP will not ditch anyone, although anyone else may ditch the BJP, said the BJP chief emotionally. Presence of JD(S) legislative party leader and former CM Kumaraswami and JD(S) state president with other JD(S) MLAs proves that we have a cordial relation, he added. Development is the mantra ?B.S. Yeddyurappa Shri Yeddyurappa?s first official engagement was a high-level meeting with the top brasses of the state administration to review the development programmes initiated by the erstwhile Kumaraswami government. Talking about priorities of his government, the new BJP CM said that the objective of his government is to provide result-oriented and responsive governance, implementation of pro-farmer policies, maintaining communal harmony and ensuring safety of minorities, weaker sections like SC/STs and women. Shri Yedddyurappa promised to strictly follow the coalition dharma. He said, ?We will follow coalition dharma in letter and spirit? and explained that former PM Shri A. B. Vajpayee, who successfully ran a coalition regime at the Centre with several parties for six years, would be his role model. With full confidence he told the mediapersons, ?I assure you that our coalition government will complete 19-month term. Creation and maintenance of infrastructure is our top priority. We will leave no stone unturned to make Karnataka a model state.? Talking about the relationship with JD(S), he said, ?I trust Deve Gowda and Kumaraswami 101 per cent.? He said, ?We have the support of 129 legislators. Three or four more legislators have told us that they will back us. Of the 129 MLAs, 79 are from the BJP, 41 from JD(S), three from Janata Dal (U) and six are independents.? He also informed that he is in constant touch with H.D. Devegowda, and added that, ?as a former Prime Minister and key political leader, I will seek his advice and guidance?. Despite UPA?s repeated attempts to impede the government formation, the BJP?s lotus has finally bloomed in Karnataka with Bookanakera Siddalingappa Yeddyurappa becoming the state?s 26th Chief Minister on November 12, 2007 in the presence of senior party leader Shri L.K. Advani, BJP national president Shri Rajnath Singh, former party president Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Karnataka BJP prabhari Shri Jaswant Sinha, BJP national secretary (organisation) Shri Ramlal and other senior leaders. Chief Ministers Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dr Raman Singh and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sushil Modi were also present at the swearing-in function in Bangalore. Former Karnataka CM and JD(S) legislature party leader H.D. Kumaraswami and JD(S) state president Merajuddin Patel, some JD(S) MLAs along with other party leaders also shared the BJP?s moment of glory in swearing-in ceremony held in front of the Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore. Along with Yeddyurappa four BJP ministers?Jagdish Shetar, V.S. Acharya, Govind M. Karjol and R. Ashok?also took oath. The 18 ministers of JD(S) have decided to take oath on November 21, 2007 and the leader who would be Deputy CM is yet to be decided by the party. Shri Yeddyurappa has decided to seek a trust vote on November 19. The BJP-JD(S) alliance has the support of 129 MLAs in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly and the BJP-led government is confident to complete its full tenure of 19 months. The BJP will have 11 more ministers. Widespread celebration in Karnataka When the media team from Delhi accompanied by senior BJP leaders landed in the nation?s IT hub Bangalore, the city wore a saffron look. Both sides of the road that led from the airport to the Vidhana Soudha were decorated with the BJP flags and illuminated hoardings of senior BJP leaders. The city of gardens was looking so dazzling with the combination of the natural green along with the saffron colour dress and cap of the thousands of BJP workers from nook and corner of the state. While the Congress was staging a token dharna in front of the statue of Gandhiji near Cubbon Park in Bangalore, protesting the formation of the BJP-led government. The Congress frustration was so excruciatingly apparent that its state leaders were even absent in the swearing-in ceremony. While the jubilant BJP leaders and workers of Karnataka burst fire-crackers and danced in the streets to drumbeats and trumpet-blaring. Large number of workers came from Shimoga, the home district of Yeddyurappa. Shri Yeddyurappa took oath in Kannada in the name of God and millions of farmers in the state. Several saints and Hindu religious heads blessed the new CM on the occasion. In the native village of Shri B.S. Yeddyurappa?Bookanakere?the villagers also burst crackers and distributed sweets on the auspicious occasion. It was continuation of Deepavali for the whole villagers. A farmer-friendly CM It was really a dream come true for both the BJP and the BJP CM Shri B.S.Yeddyurappa. Shri Yeddyurappa undauntedly crossed all the obstacles in his assuming the mantle of Chief Ministership, with the initiative of JD(S). He is a senior BJP leader who masterminded and finally won the hearts of the JD(S), of course he had to wait for long 18 days to sit in the chair. He had shot into limelight when he launched a crusade against the injustice done to the farmers for over two decades. He entered the public life at the age of 29 years and was jailed during Emergency. He also espoused the cause of bonded-labours and led a team of 1,700 bonded-labours in the Shimoga Deputy Commissioner?s office, demanding release and rehabilitation of bonded-labours in the state. He won the hearts of the farming community when he vehemently fought for upholding the rights of Bagar Hukum farmers (landless people who unauthorizedly cultivate in government lands) and prevented forest officials from planting eucalyptus saplings in those lands. Till then the BJP was a non-entity in Karnataka politics. But his fight for the landless people made him a hero and his popularity level rose by several notches. Yeddyurappa entered the assembly on a BJP ticket and was part of the first non-Congress government led by Shri Hegde. He led the party from just two MLAs in 1985 to 79 MLAs in 2004. At the age of 23, Shri Yeddyurappa was active in spreading the work of RSS. He is known for his strict disciplinarian nature. He was born in Bookanare in Mandya district, about 100 km from Bangalore, on February 27, 1943. Though born in Mandya district, he made Shikaripura in Shimoga district his political base. He entered active politics in 1972 when he was elected president of Shikaripura Taluk Jana Sangh. He entered Karnataka Assembly in 1983 from Shikaripura constituency and won from there five times. He was appointed all India secretary of the BJP in 1992 and had been president of the state unit for two terms. He is powerful public speaker in Kannada. He became deputy CM in Kumaraswami?s government in 2006 and was given finance portfolio.

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