‘Never imagined being CM, but…’: Basavraj Bommai ahead of Karnataka assembly polls

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated he ‘never imagined becoming the CM’ in an interview to reporters on Monday, couple of weeks before the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. The crucial assembly polls are slated to be held on 10 May.

The Karnataka Assembly Elections are just a fortnight away. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which saw an exodus of at least ten leaders and former ministers ahead of the crucial assembly polls, has found itself in a rather unprecedented pickle.

CM Bommai was answering questions on whether he would return as the state's chief minister in the event of yet another term win for the saffron party. The Chief minister replied that, he had never imagined about becoming a chief minister.

“I had never imagined becoming the CM, but the party's high command decided it. Now also, the party high command will take a decision” he told reporters.

In recap, BS Yediyurappa, considered an important leader of the influential Lingayat Community in Karnataka and BJP leader, resigned as Chief Minister on 26 July 2021, on the second anniversary of his term.

Dharmendra Pradhan and G Kishan Reddy were sent by the national leadership of the BJP to carry out the selection of the next chief minister. On 27 July 2021, Basavaraj Bommai was elected to the post.

On the exodus of former chief minister and deputy chief minister from BJP on being denied ticket for the upcoming assembly polls, CM Bommai said, “Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi enjoyed all powers in BJP and they later joined the Congress party. They will not be accepted by the people of the state”.

Bommai is the son of the former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Union Minister of Human Resource Development, SR Bommai, who is widely remembered as the champion for the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, SR Bommai vs Union of India, considered one of the most quoted verdicts in the country's political history.

The case made the Court discuss at length provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution of India and related issues. This case had huge impact on Centre-State Relations.

Basavaraj Bommai and his father are only the second father and son duo after HD Devegowda and HD Kumaraswamy to become the Chief Ministers of Karnataka.