Bengaluru, Aug 2: Within a year of returning to power for the fourth time as Chief Minister in Karnataka, septuagenarian B.S. Yediyurappa has consolidated his position in the ruling BJP to stay the course till the next Assembly elections in mid-2023.
"A combination of factors helped Yediyurappa to consolidate and stay the course for the remaining term of his office to ensure the saffron party retains power in the state though he is unlikely to stake claim for the chief minister's post again as he would be 80 years old by 2023," a party source told news agency here.
Since the 77-year-old seasoned politician assumed office on July 26, 2019, the first year has been tumultuous for him, as he had go through a "trial by fire" what with the party's mighty high command and detractors testing his patience in the face of natural calamities like drought, floods and the Covid pandemic.
The first 7-8 months of the term were spent in tackling drought and floods, winning 12 of the 15 by-elections in December to secure a majority for the ruling party in the lower house and expanding the cabinet in February.
Even as Yediyurappa was settling down to seriously govern after presenting the state budget for fiscal 2020-21 in early March, the coronavirus outbreak overwhelmed him, as the pandemic spread and wreaked havoc, disrupting life, livelihood, economic growth and development.
"While the emphatic victory in the by-elections ensured the government's stability till the assembly term up to mid-2023, the second cabinet expansion on February 6 posed a challenge to Yediyurappa, as he could induct only 10 of the 12 MLAs who defected from the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and won the by-elections, triggering a revolt in the party by the loyalists left out of the ministry," the source recalled.
Though Yeddiyurappa has been leading the battle against the virus from day 1 and initially succeeded in controlling it from spreading during the extended lockdown till May 31, reopening the state under Unlock since June has undone the gains, as positive cases shot up to 1,29,287 so far, including 73,219 in Bengaluru after 53,648 recovered from across the state till date, while 2,412 succumbed to the deadly disease since March 9.
"For a state of 7 crore population, the data reveals that the pandemic has been fought on war-footing to contain it from spreading in all the 30 districts, although there are no signs of it going away till a vaccine is found. The chief minister has been trying to balance unlocking the state and containing the infection," a member of the health task force told IANS.
With six cabinet posts in the 34-member ministry being vacant, filling them will be a daunting task for Yediyurappa, as at least 20 legislators, including 5-6 newly elected turncoats and party's veterans are lobbying to become ministers at any cost.
By appointing 20 party legislators as heads of state-run board and corporations, nominating 5 as members of the state legislative council, including JD-S defector A.H. Vishwanath in July and getting 2 Congress defectors R. Shankar and M.T.B. Nagaraj elected as MLCs in June with 2 others, Yediyurappa ensured that these lawmakers would not be in the reckoning for the 6 cabinet posts, as dozen MLAs are already pitching for them.
Nagaraj and Vishwanath lost in the December 5 by-elections, while Shankar was not given a ticket to contest in the by-poll but was assured of making him an MLC with another disgruntled member C.P. Yogeshwar, who lost in the 2018 May assembly polls to JD-S leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the 14-month-old JD-S and Congress coalition government from May 23, 2018 to July 23, 2019.
Resignations of 17 rebels, including 14 from the Congress and 3 from the JD-S led to the fall of the coalition government, as Kumaraswamy lost the majority in the 225-member assembly on July 23, 2019 in their absence.
Though Yediyurappa led the party to win 105 seats in the 2018 assembly elections and formed a government on May 17, 2018, he resigned 3 days later on May 19, 2018, as he fell 8-9 seats short of the halfway mark (113) for a simple majority in the lower house.
In a post-poll alliance, the JD-S and the Congress formed the coalition government to keep the BJP out of power in May 2018, after the assembly elections gave split verdict and the Congress lost power then.
"The record victory of the ruling party in the May 2019 general elections, when 25 of its 27 contestants won out of 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state, reinforced the popular belief that Yediyurappa is the party's mascot in winning elections and an unquestionable leader of the politically dominant Lingayats in the state," the source pointed out.
When Yediyurappa left the BJP and floated a regional outfit (Karnataka Janata Party) in January 2013, he delivered a body blow to the BJP in the May 2013 state assembly polls, as the votes got split and was defeated by then Congress.
"Besides the party's high command, everyone in the party's state unit, including leaders and cadres are aware of Yediyurappa's popularity across the state, as has the wherewithal to connect with masses and win elections," the source added.
Comments
RIKAZ,
Already done, i have done my computer course.
And what do you think, how i am replying to you, its through computer.
Satyameva jayate.
You have a sick mind. Just read what you have written.
I dont think you will understand anything if i reply.
If you are so concerned about kashmir or china, pls go ahead and do it yourself dont give advise to others.
PONDER, have u read properly, now here it is,
Rigveda 10/85/13- cows are slaughterd.. is misconception. The actual meaning is The word used for sun-rays is \GO\" which also means cow and hence a mantra can also be translated by making 'COW\" and not sun-rays as subject.the word WEAKENED is \"Hanyate\" which can also mean killing. The mantra states the rays get weakened in winter and get strong again in spring. How can cow that get killed in winter gain strength in spring. This proves that the reader of the vedas should have good intelligence and wisdom to understand. Otherwise people will misunderstand just like you did. Same for all other points you mentioned."
SURESH U need to do some homework, not to reply but to UNDERSTAND... please go thru below verses from your scriptures specially the last one.
Maharishi Yagyavalkya says in Shapath Brahmin (3/1/2/21) that : I EAT BEEF cos it is very soft and delicious.
Apastamb Grihsutram (1/3/10) says : The COW should be slaughtered on the arrival of Guest, on the occasion of Shraddha of ancestors and on the occasion of Marriage.
RIGVEDA (10/85/13) declares On the occasion of a girl's marriage Oxen and COWS are Slaughtered
RIGVED (6/17/1) STATES the INDRA used to EAT the meat of COW, calf, horse and buffalo.
Vashista Dharmasutra (11/34) writes, If a BRAHMIN refuses to EAT a meat offered to him on the occasion of SHRADDHA or worship HE GOES to HELL>
Suresh, you need to learn some logic.....I suggest you to join some computer programming course....
Suresh........how many cows you have at home...as per your comments also send some cows to borders of Kashmir and China...some to clean gangas and others RSS bhakta to bring go moorhra to wash their sick minds......
Which century are you living in......and where did you get your GO history from...
Rikaz,
What i have mentioned one full paragraph is fact.
what you are saying is called illusion (maya)
You will never understand that.
Just like a blind cannot see the world around him, same way you cannot understand Maya (illusion) ignorance. You have to rise high from Kg class teaching.
Mr. Suresh, its a fact man, you like it or not....I know very well that you know it...but you don't want to admit it.....right....
Rikaz,
Your are a really a funny man and your comments are so immatured.
I dont understand, Whats is wrong and what is supersition.
I am not supporting the beating of people, its wrong,
I was just giving the importance of cow for Hindus.
Suresh, you are still believing in superstition in this 21st century, so sad!
Tell us how many houses have been ruined because of your theory...none...
All rivers were flowing in same place....no body done anything for it....its natures creation.....totally rubbish....
cow is a kind of animals....its not a god...it cannot save itself from any disaster....you and your own people don't care them at all, you will find a lot of them in the road sides like orphans...no one put any grass on it....instead it eats plastic and sometime later dies....reason you don't care them and don't put any food for it....common its your god man treat it nicely....
Once Gautam Maharishi was meditating and a holy cow maya denu entered his abode and started spoiling the rice in his farm. Knowing cow shall not be treated harshly he put the Darba grass on the cow and to his surprise the cow fell dead. The other rishis present said that Gautam maharishi has done a Gau hatya a grave sin. To atone the sin of Go hatya, (killing a sacred cow), he went to Nasik & did severe Tapas to lord Shiva at Trimbakeshwar on advise of other rishis. When lord shiva was pleased with his Tapas, Gautam rishi requested lord shiva to release him from the sin by making the river Ganga flow over the dead cow. Thus Lord shiva diverted the river Ganga to flow over the cow. Thus River Go-davari was born in Nashik and merge with bay of bengal.
Cow is so holy that, if you build your house on the plot of land where cows put their holy feet for grazing, or where there was a cow shed, building a house in such a plot is very very auspicious.
After a house in built the first day of house warming cermony a holy cow is first made to enter the house in this way all the evil and negative energy in the newly built house is cleared off.
If a person is suffering badly in health or work front they are advised to feed cows, by doing this the creator is satisfied and he relieves the person from his sufferings.
Cow- urine or Go-mutra is so auspicious that if you sprinkle it on the possessed people, or inauspicious places where there is negative energies accumulated, the place becomes pure and positive again.
1857 first war of Independence broke out - cow was the reason.
This cow story made citizens sick and tired....there is no god in cow or any animal kind....what the hell these vigilantes doing around....if dalits want to live peacefully they should convert to Islam....that is where they get their due respect from society....In Islam there wont be any upper caste and lower caste....they will be treated properly with respect in the society....
Its a BIG INSULT to the PM ...
Cheddi gangs ignored .... him badly.
The PM should show his power to stop it rather than saying killing me before killing the dalits...
He said, Fake Gau Rakshaks are dividing the nation,
Then what the real Gau Rakshaks are doing??????
He further says, \Hit me and do not hit Dalits\", means he can not control those who want to HIT????
Why is he concerned about Dalits when other communities also have been terrorized by so called Gau Rakshaks? Others are not humans or Indians? Or he is only concerned about \"Vote Bank\"???"
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