Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai once worked for Tata Motors

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Somappa Bommai on Wednesday (July 28) 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 inning at the top.

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New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Somappa Bommai on Wednesday (July 28) 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.

On Wednesday, 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.

Bommai is from the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community to which Yediyurappa also belonged 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 CM J H Patel and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the council.