Week after spelling change, Yediyurappa takes up K’taka reins for 4th time
Seeking his political future in realms of numerology, Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa changed his last name to Yediyurappa a few weeks ago. The stars did smile on him and on Friday he took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka for the fourth time on Friday.
Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 76-year-old Yediyurappa at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. Only Yediyurappa was sworn in.
BSY, as he is popularly called, carried the last name of Yediyurappa till 2007 when he became the Chief Minister for the first time in 2007. Then he changed his name to “Yeddyurappa” on the advice of numerologists.
The name change then wasn’t of much help as the coalition with the JD(S) Government survived for only a week.
Sources said acting on the advice of a numerologist, BSY has reverted to older spelling. Sources said BSY had got his name changed in State Assembly records a few weeks ago.
Yediyurappa-led BJP Ministry is assuming office three days after the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) Government with the defeat of the motion of confidence moved by HD Kumaraswamy in by 99-105 votes.
Yediyurappa met the Governor to stake the claim for Government formation and requested him to administer the oath of office and secrecy on Friday itself. Before the swearing in, Yediyurappa said he would decide on members to be inducted into the ministry after consulting party president Amit Shah.
This is the fourth times Yediyurappa will occupy the chair of the Chief Minister — the last one was after the May 2018 Assembly polls, when he barely lasted three days after being sworn in.
In Delhi, BJP working president JP Nadda said the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government fell due to internal reasons and asserted that his party would provide a stable Government in the State.
“They (Congress-JD-S) fell under their own weight due to internal reasons...The BJP is synonymous with stability. Wherever we go, we bring stability,” Nadda told reporters at his maiden Press conference where he also shared the Narendra Modi Government’s achievements in its first 50 days.
Nadda played down queries about the fact that Yediyurappa is over 75-year age bar the party has stipulated for its leaders holding any Government position.
Yediyurappa was the leader of the BJP legislature party in the State and it was natural for him to be the party’s choice for the Chief Minister’s post, he said.
“It depends,” he said when quizzed about the party’s age-bar and then added, “you see, first of all he is a leader, he is an elected leader of the legislature party. Accordingly, he is taking oath. It is a continuous process and the party takes note of ongoing developments from time to time.”
As the leader of Opposition he is alright and the day he takes oath the question is asked about his age, he said, adding that it does not work like that.
The BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amit Shah has introduced the 75 years limit for Ministers in the party-run Governments as well as for its candidates in the recent Lok Sabha election to ease out many veterans, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Sumitra Mahajan among others.