Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP legislature party on Tuesday (July 27) elected Basavaraj Bommai as its new leader and he will succeed outgoing Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.


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"The new leader proposal was made by senior leader B S Yediyurappa and was supported by Govind Karjol, R Ashok, K S Eshwarappa, B Sriramulu, S T Somashekar, Poornima Srinivas, and the newly elected legislature party leader and new Chief Minister will be Basavaraj Bommai," BJP's central observers and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said after the meeting.


According to party sources, Bommai, a Lingayat leader from North Karnataka, had the backing of the outgoing chief minister Yeddyurappa to succeed him. Basavaraj Bommai is the son of former chief minister, the late S R Bommai.


Bommai hails from the Sadara Lingayat community. Basavaraj Bommai completed his graduation in engineering from BV Bhoomreddy Engineering College in Hubbali. He worked as an industrial entrepreneur and later went on to work with Tata Motors for three years. 


Bommai started his political career by joining the Youth wing of Janata Dal. He was appointed as the chief secretary to then chief minister JH Patel in 1996. 


Bommai entered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008. He was among the top ranks in the party and went on to hold the portfolio of Water Resources Development for five continuous years from 2008 to 2013.


Bommai has been an important party unit and a close confidante to BS Yediyurappa. He is a two-time MLC and three-time MLA from Shiggaon in the Haveri district.