Bommai: A Lingayat leader and BJP strongman

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Somappa Bommai on Wednesday scripted history, becoming a part of only the second father-son duo to have led the State on different occasions, as he started a new innings at the top.

Previously, JDS Supremo HD Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy have been CMs of the southern State during different periods.

Bommai's father SR Bommai was a Janata Parivar stalwart and had served as the 11th chief minister of Karnataka in the late 1980s.

Bommai took oath as chief minister, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administering the oath to the 61 year-old leader at the Raj Bhavan here.

Bommai, a Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, handled Home, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in BS Yediyurappa's council of ministers that was dissolved on Monday following the latter's resignation as chief minister and was also the Minister in-charge of Haveri and Udupi districts.

Born on January 28, 1960 in Hubballi, Basavaraj Bommai is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering.

He worked in Tata Motors, Pune for three years and then became an industrial entrepreneur.

His caste, educational qualification, administrative capacities and proximity to Yediyurappa and BJP central leaders are said to be the reasons behind his elevation.

Bommai is from the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community to which Yediyurappa also belongs to. The community accounts for 16-17 per cent of the State's population and is counted as a key vote-base of the saffron party.

He started his political career with the Janata Dal, and was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, twice (in 1997 and 2003) from Dharwad local authorities constituency.

He had also served as Political Secretary to former chief minister JH Patel and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the council.

The leader quit Janata Dal (United) and joined BJP in February 2008 and in the assembly elections held later that year, was elected as MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri.

He then went on to retain the seat in the 2013 and 2018 Assembly polls.

Married to Chennamma, he has a son and a daughter.

Bommai had served as Minister for Water Resources and Cooperation in the previous BJP government.

Widely appreciated for his knowledge regarding irrigation projects in the State, Bommai was like Yediyurappa's shadow in the just-dissolved BJP cabinet, as he used to follow the 78-year-old leader at meetings, events and press briefings and assist him.

Bommai, who was in-charge of Home Affairs at the beginning of the term, was subsequently given Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature as additional portfolios during the cabinet reshuffle a few months ago.

The new leader of the BJP legislature party enjoys reading, writing, golf and cricket and has served as Chairman of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Dharwad, and Karnataka Volleyball Association, Dharwad District.

He is also the founder of Arunodaya Co-operative Society, a member of Jayanagar Housing Society and German Chamber of Commerce.